I Love Lee Tae Ri - not if you don't want her to go to jail, you don't!

[dangermousie]

In kdrama world, things often come in twos, whether it's time-travelling doctors or Iljimaes. And thus it is with body changing stories - in addition to Hong Sisters' surprisingly lovely Big, we have tVN's offering I Love Lee Tae Ri, about a 14-year-old who transforms into a 25-year-old and falls for a late-twenties heroine of the title.



Driven by God-knows which impulse, I decided to try ILLTR only to run away screaming. Oh my God, stay away! There are many dramas that leave me rather 'meh,' which I do not even bother commenting about, but this one is in a special category of its own.

First, let's hit the easiest, lowest-hanging fruit - many a mediocre or even questionable drama has been saved by good acting. ILLTR is, I assure you, not one of them. It is amazing that neither of the main four shows a single glimmer of acting ability - I believe the male lead is a male idol and, I am sure, he is excellent in his chosen profession. I only wish he stuck to that profession and never graced our screens as an 'actor' - he is better than someone like Changmin in Paradise Ranch but that is about all I can say. The leading lady I am unfamiliar with, but her acting skill is truly infinitesimal. Still, both our leads appear to be graduates of RADA in comparison to the unfortunate young woman playing the secondary girl, who is yet another idol who should have stuck to her day job. Sure, secondary girl roles are unsually not the place the shine, but this is a new, unseen-before level of horror. She is actively painful to watch - I think if someone paired her with my 'n1 worst kdrama actor I've ever seen' Yunho in a drama, a perfect black hole of awfulness would be created and the world would self-destruct. The secondary guy is saddled with an awful character and the best I can say about his acting is that he is marginally better than the secondary girl. Emphasis on 'marginally.'

OK, now that I got this out of the way (and am sort-of quaking whether hordes of fans of the idols in the cast will now plot my doom and destruction - fangirls, your idols may be the best idols ever, but they should stay away from acting, OK?), let's address the real problem - the premise. Because, let's face it, I've enjoyed dramas with some bad actors in them when the premise was interesting - nobody is going to label Kim Hyun Joong a great thespian but I liked his character in Boys Over Flowers and thought Playful Kiss was adorable.

So - the premise - 14-yr-old boy acquires 25-yr-old body, romances late 20s woman. Anyone see a problem? ANYONE? I am game for a younger man-older woman romance, but this is not like those 'hot for teacher' dramas Asia seems to love, in which the student is about to graduate high school. Nor is it like Big, where even if he wasn't in a 30-yr-old body, Kyung Joon would be 19. This kid (and yes, I use the word deliberately) is fourteen. That is Mary Kate Letourneau territory. I don't care if his body is 25 or 45 or 85. He himself is 14 and the drama makes it clear. The only way I want to watch a romance involving a 14-yr-old, the only way a romance involving a 14-yr-old is OK is if it's a childhood love portion and the recipient of his affection is his age. Not to mention that the whole story starts when he is jealous about his arranged-fiancee who is 19 and the drama portrays it as normal and even romantic-sweet for this kid to be spouting romantic lines at her and for the families to treat him as adult in this matter. This drama, frankly, makes my skin crawl and I do not want to know what the writers were thinking to come up with it.

So, I cannot say it strongly enough - stay away! If you need a tVN drama in your life, I've heard great things about I Need Romance 2012 and that one involves all adults.

Comments

[hanjae.livejournal.com]

Park Ye Jin can actually be quite a good actress (have you seen Rebirth - Next and Dae Jo Young?) but ILLTR has a pretty dismal script that no one can do much with. Though I do agree that Kibum and secondary girl are making me cringe, and the second male lead has always been wooden in everything I've seen him in.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I only watched a couple of eps of Rebirth. Which of the girls was she?

This drama is so epically bad, I had to mention it.

[hanjae.livejournal.com]

She was the one who had that amazing storyline with the male lead in... was it the Goryeo bit? He was the warlord or something and she his captive, and they fall in love with the kind of epic tragicness that I automatically connect with your tastes in dramas. :P



^That bit.

She's the one on the far left here:



I was eternally annoyed that Jang Shin Young was casted as lead over Ye Jin because damn, PYJ can act circles around JSY. The only drama that I could stand JSY in was that small role she had as the drummer in I Am Legend (another terrible drama, speaking of which).

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that was her? Why is she in this horror then? Also, from JIS and SJS in Bali to this - ouch.

[hanjae.livejournal.com]

God only knows, LOL. PYJ was also one of the best things about Queen Snore Deok - too bad Princess Chunmyung was offed so early in the drama.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I only watched Bidam parts so didn't see her there ;)

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

Yeah I checked out Lee Tae Ri awhile ago on a lark and it was pretty fuckin bad. Kim Kibum IS an idol. or he WAS. I know he used to be in Super Junior but he left some time ago. and as such I dont know much about him at all. He is kind of cute looking but definitely not cute enough to make me sit through this dreck. Hahaha poor Changmin and Yunho, its pretty hilarious they are both such bad actors since they are in a group together. well duo atm. But they used to be in a group with Yoochun and Jaejoong and those two are alot better at acting. But I guess it evens out since Changmin can out sing them both haha. idk why korea likes to put popular idols in dramas, some of them are really good at singing and dancing and dont NEED to do anything else. I feel like an idol should act only if they are decent at it and if thats like the thing they are the most decent at/aka singing isnt their forte. Altho Yoochun I knew first as an actor and he can actually sing pretty well, I once saw him hit a really high note and i was like omg. lol. Jaejoong also has a pretty voice, even tho it pains me to admit it. I've never seen Junsu aka the fifth member of their former group in a drama but he rocks at musical theatre. I wanna see him headline a musical drama one day. alth i think that time has passed. it is now the age of the time travel and body swap drama lol. There's really only 3 idols I think are decent at acting and thats Yoochun, TOP (even tho he plays the same character alot lol) and Lee Joon altho he hasnt done a kdrama yet just a film and a sitcom but trust me he can act. Cant wait till his new drama comes out. Joonbug <3

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yup, Yoochun can act. Some former/long-time idols are good too (see Eric) but most of them should never be allowed near a drama. I don't know why production cos keep sticking them there (did you hear Kim Hyun Joong has another lead? In something that sounds rather City Hunterish? My God) because it's not as if they bring the ratings - most idol dramas do horribly.

[hanjae.livejournal.com]

Jumping in here to say - Omg yes, City Conquest! The new Kim Hyun Joong vehicle, that is. I think it's horrendous that Namgoong Min (my beloved Maroo oppa from Can You Hear My Heart) is cast as second lead opposite Mr. Plank-of-wood. That's not to say I don't like KHJ - I actually adore him on variety because he's so 4-dimensional - but as an actor and lead actor to boot? Not so much.

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

Oh lord, how does Joongie keep getting roles? Oh wait I know, cause he's pretty and has lots of fangirls. I mean I love him as a person he's a doll and he's friends with fellow aliens TOP and Jaejoong but out of the three of them he's definitely the most wooden. and I mean it was fine in shoujo manga dramas because it doesnt require much complexity or skill but this drama sounds like it is way beyond his ability. Which means it should be hilarious to watch KHJ try to act and fail miserably. lol

[hanjae.livejournal.com]

I know, right? One of the greatest mysteries of the kdrama world - how HJ keeps getting lead roles that he has no chance in hell of pulling off. And out of those three you'd think people would dead set go for Jaejoong or TOP as lead actors over Hyun Joong, but... nope! It's particularly weird when you consider that the other two has just as much Hallyu power (if not more, in the case of Jaejoong). Maybe for the sake of amusement I should keep my fingers crossed for a shoot out that ends with the death of HJ's character - I have the funniest mental image of him trying to act out a tragic death scene with him being shot (City Hunter style) and coming off constipated.

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

TOP is obscenely famous and popular too cause Big Bang is big in korea. but like, tbf TOP turns down drama roles alot to do his actual job which is being an idol which is performing on stage and shit. So he's got priorities. But like he has a film role coming up now. It just bugs me that he is being type cast and also sort of type casting himself. I'd love to see TOP do a rom com then we can see if he has any actual range. I've only seen jaejoong act in protect the boss and he was acceptable. i dont know if he could pull off a city hunter lead role either but i guess he'd fair better than KHJ but then so would a wooden plank. KHJ is the keanu reeves of korea. keeps getting big roles. but cant act to save his life. at least he's alot cuter than keanu reeves.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

The thing with Keanu is that he picks role appropriate for his teeny range. KHJ has NO range so there is literally no role he is appropriate for. Why he is still acting, God only knows.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Why they didn't cast a real actor in CC is a mystery for the ages. This is going to be so bad!!!

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

They dont do well in raitings huh? Thats not a surprise but also it is a surprise, just cause I always thought idols was the main reason to put them in dramas but now that I think about it thats not it. Alot of idol companies are really really powerful and have ties or flat out OWN the broadcasting companies. So they promote their idols through dramas. Some idols straight up dont really sing or dance that well and their claim to fame is dramas. Eric is pretty famous for not being a good singer at all, he got to where he is because of dramas. but at least he can act! Like how Dream High and Dream High 2 was pretty much a vehicle for JYP company's idols. At least Suzy isnt THAT bad and they hung a lampshade on the actresss's unexpressiveness in the drama. and taecyeon wasnt too bad. and Eunjung IMO is really good. but like the acting in DH 2 was alot more questionable. probably cause they didnt have a proper actors in the main cast. and the new Hana Kimi adaptation is clearly an SM idol vehicle. But its like its a bit different in Japan since usually dramas with an idol lead or cast are pretty popular! Esp internationally. (by that i mean throughout asia)
Like Arashi has had so many drama roles, like at least one of out of the same 4 of 5 of them get a drama every single SEASON. and they almost always do well! But like moving back to Korean idols. Broadcasting ties is the same reason that Companies can put their idols on various popular variety shows. But usually its the idols that are actually good at variety, ie entertaining, funny etc and you can bet if they are NOT good at variety they dont stay there long. Whereas idols get put on dramas whether they can act or not. sometimes the idol doesnt even really wanna act but the company makes them. So yeah thats my two cents on the whole thing. But I guess it doesnt make it any less tolerable even knowing why it does happen lol.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

The control thing makes a lot more sense than ratings grab because the latter is economic insanity. Ahhh idols

[(Anonymous)]

Also idols have a huge fan base all over asia. So even if the drama tanked in ratings in korea and is not doing well, it will still be sold abroad to japan,taiwan, china etc... so the production companies would still make loads of money......so this trend won't stop any time soon :(

[att123.livejournal.com]

Mousie! I just read on Soompi that Bridal Mask got extended for another 4 episodes! I so hope that is true.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oh God, make it so!

[december-clouds.livejournal.com]

*can't stop laughing*

I read about this one and wasn't interested at all. I too don't mind a bad acting but great premise -- I watch dramas mostly for a good story. This just sounds... ugh.

I'm reading Papillon (by Ueda Miwa, known for Peach Girl) right now and I think the main character (female) is 14 dating a 25 year old (male). *sighs*

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yikes re manga.

This drama is THAT bad, seriously, eeeeek.

[(Anonymous)]

I have a feeling the drama is bad. You are brave for checking it out.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It was awful.

[moraitika1.livejournal.com]

Park Ye Jin was the secondary girl in What happened in Bali! I know you loved WHIB therefore you know the girl very well! and the secondary guy I found him serviceable in drama special I'll teach you love.
for Lee Tae Ri the script and action are awful - everything is written as a kids show - c'mon if you wanted a Sunday morning show you won't put a 14 years old with two 20+ girls. Gypsies still have the tradition to marry a 19 years old girl with a 11 years old kid but Koreans are no gypsies, nor in their tradition adult girls were married/engaged with 14 years old boys , therefore this was the flaw that lost me. I'm all in for I Do I Do couple, but not in "I love LTR". I can see a 21+ guy with a 31+ woman but only if two adults are in the couple. Btw in Big I like Da Ran with young Kyung Joon rather than Gong Yoo... because it is all kinds of wrong but it is well played and explained, it looks like Majo No Jouken at kdrama level. More tragedy is at the next corner while in "I love LTR" tragedy isn't palpable enough...they tell me what to feel instead of making me feel it. I was expecting fluff but KiBum doesn't work for me as cutie pie - he looks good on photo shoots, but on screen is less than Average Joe, but he was one hot scholar in Tree with deep roots - therefore they have a miscast crew, a 2 cents script and a teenage show directing and I wouldn't let a kid to watch this show.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Word to everything - nothing in this drama gels. (She was the gal in WHIB? How are the mighty fallen!)

I agree, IDID couple doesn't bother me, nor does the couple in Big (I agree, I prefer Daran with Kyung Joon as KJ). I mean, I adore Majo No Jouken. But this is entirely age-inappropriate AND silly - no way out of that pit.

[usisblog.livejournal.com]

I do not care for the age as long his character is mature enough. But I grew up in a country without british-based law system.
Okay, an adult having sexual relationship with someone who is not 16 can be get you in law trouble here too but few of my classmates had adult Bfs. 20 years ago is wasn't that unusal. Just today when there is no real privacy anymore it became a topic.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yes, but 14 and 28? Not in a period setting? Without drama showing anything to indicate this is...issue-laden, to say the least? You could make a good drama of the situation, I suppose, but ILLTR is not it.

[moraitika1.livejournal.com]

It is an usual setting in my country too and the age of the girl tends to be younger and younger, but a few months ago was a case with a sport teacher, a sex act and his pupil 2 days before 18 therefore the guy got some jail time and the high school a ton of bad publicity: In Romania the consent age is 15, however it is considered rape if the adult is in power position as: doctor, teacher, lawyer etc. If the parents of the kid don't object, relationships between 16 years old and a student are a common thing. A girl in her late teens and a 24 years old guy isn't a great of an ethic problem, but a 24 years old girl (cough woman) and a 16 years old boy looks shocking even in my country. In the same period as the sport teacher case, one choreography teacher (23, woman) that was kissed by a 17 years old boy was fired on the premise that "Caesar's wife must be above suspicion." - or just the school avoided the bad publicity in the last minute.

But *drums"* as wiki says in South Korea

According to the Section 305 of the Criminal Law of the Republic of Korea, a person who engages in a sexual intercourse with a female minor, but not a male minor, who is under 13 years of age, regardless of Korean age reckoning, is guilty of rape and shall not be fined but be punished by penal labor for the duration that exceeds 3 years (the Criminal Law specifically states to punish a person who raped a female minor or adult, which makes engaging in a voluntary or involuntary sexual intercourse with a male minor or adult is not Criminal Law definition of rape in either case.)[61] If a person sexually harassed a female or male minor without engaging in a sexual intercourse, the person shall be punished by penal labor for the duration up to 10 years or fined up to 15 million won.

Ups IS IT ME or in Korea you can't rape a minor male, even if you do! For them the guys can't be mislead or forced

* goes to buahahahahhahaha

more muahaha:
we are still in SoKor
Sexual relationships between same sex are regarded as sexual harassment in the Military Penal Code.


No matter how funny it looks for me they have an old legal system and an old moral (read Confucian) system: movies like I Love Italy, Big or IDID, Hello My Teacher, Romance (MBC 2002), Coffee Prince, YAB, Lady Daddy, Soulmate, A Thousand Kisses just try to tackle the flaws of their society. Some of those dramas are awesome, some are really bad it all depends on the execution. However what it looks like a walk in the park for us and a personal right - transgender, homosexuality (Personal Taste anyone) , abortion IDID for SoKor is a real problem and what it looks to us like a huge problem - a 19-20 years old fallen for his teacher - it is more of an educational problem and it is the family's duty to protect the child from cases like this. Everyone on allkpop flipped up at the article where Suzy(18 in November this year in Western age) kissed Gong Yoo... while for her, her agency and her family looks like her daily job - if they had something against it - she wouldn't have kissed Kim Soo Hyun, Taecyeon and all the guys from her CFs.


No matter how much we pretend to know what happens in Asian Culture it can't be compared with our own values. A Busan local high court found a 46-year-old man not guilty of having sex with a runaway teenage girl, saying their liaison was neither forced nor in exchange for money.

The Busan District Court Wednesday upheld a lower court ruling that acquitted the man, identified as Kim, of charges related to the violation of the law covering the protection of minors.

Kim bought food for the 16-year-old girl, who was wandering near Seoul Station, and allowed her to stay at his home in December 2006. He was indicted for having sex with her while the two lived together for about six months.

“The girl had already been homeless for about two years before meeting Kim, and he did not control her after offering his house as a shelter to her request. So we don’t acknowledge the prosecution’s claim that Kim made the minor (engage in sexual activity) away from her parents’ protection,’’ the court said. [Korea Times via Brian in Jeollanam-do]

[timescout.livejournal.com]

This is such a bad drama that I shouldn't really have watched any of it but... I did. I blame a temporary malfunction of the brain. ;P I think that moraitika1 actualy said it best; miscast, 2 cent script and put together like a teen drama. Actually, it would have been kinda cute, had it been a teen drama with a cast to match.

Technically the premise should have icked me too but nothing in this show feels even remotely real so the ick-factor didn't really kick in.

I doubt the writers were thinking at all when they cooked this one up. I mean, an underage kid romancing a grown woman is all kinds of wrong. Another thing is that going by the dialog, what she actually wished for was a friend and that's the way it seemed to be going in the beginning (despite of the title). But of course it had to go the other way.....

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

This whole thing is so bad, it almost becomes unique. Seriously, a rare combo of everything awful.

[karened.livejournal.com]

First reaction was. A 14 year old who became 25 overnight? And romances a late twenties woman? Fourteen? Fourteen! Blehrunsaway.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Seriously, the writers need their head examined.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

YUCK YUCK YUCK.

I feel so bad for you, watching this nonsense. I did, however, enjoy your ripping this drama apart, so I guess it wasn't a total loss? :D

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It really was so appallingly bad, I thought a health warning was required.

[orangebreeze.livejournal.com]

I'm kinda glad I didn't check it out. For once I did not get tricked by a bad drama XD

I also didn't like the leading lady in her role in "My Princess", so apart from the story she was another off-putting factor. Sometimes I really wonder what is going on in those screenwriters' minds.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Seriously - be glad your eyeballs were saved :)

[(Anonymous)]

LOL.....hmmmmm....is that incoming ELF wrath that I smell?? but then again I'm not sure if any in your flist are ELF but apparently they are the scariest of all the Idol fans out there...Anyways, thank you for your warning on this drama....teacher-student romances or older men/women romancing anyone underage is my drama kryptonite, so I'm definitely going to stay far far away

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

*off to hide from ELFs*

[ladysaotome.livejournal.com]

I felt the exact same way - and I only read the recaps. But I'm confused with myself since one of my favorite manga is MeruPuri which definitely has similarities. I think maybe I was able to trick my mind into being ok with it because in the manga he seemed so mature and felt more like a mature person with 2 physical appearances rather than a kid stuck in an adult body...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I like MP too so hmmm...