The best romance you are not watching
Nov. 1st, 2010 02:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dangermousiePerfect mirrors:
I think Daemul is a perfect lesson in how your drama expectations can often be wrong. When it was first announced in 2008, I was a giddily excited fangirl. The drama (finally out in 2010) turned out nothing, nothing like I expected, and yet I love it madly, obsessively, ridiculously.
In my defense, when it was first announced, all I knew was that the manhwa this was to be based on was about the first female President of Korea and the gigolo her political enemies hired to bring her down (he was interested because of some revenge-related issues). Any plot/vibe similarity between that story and the story of a rising and idealistic female politician and her incorruptible prosecutor BFF/potential OTP - i.e. what the drama turned out to be about - is pretty marginal, one has to agree. (Yes, kdramas are known for their crazy plot twists and Daemul is scheduled for 26 eps, and may possibly get an extension if its insane ratings continue, but to imagine Do Ya becoming a gigolo, especially a gigolo dedicated to wrecking Hye Rim, requires more imagination than I currently possess).
So yes, entirely different beast, but I love it so very much. Its functional OTP in the middle of all the dirty politics, really makes it shine.
You know, there are no words for how much I love the OTP of Daemul. It would be so easy, with poorer writing, with poorer acting, to turn them into almost propaganda cliches - she is an idealistic politician fighting for the rights of her fellow citizens. And he is the hard-charging prosecutor, fighting corruption whenever he finds it.
And the thing is, the above is true, but that is nowhere near the sum total of it. No, they are nuanced flesh-and-blood people - she is often afraid, angry, at the end of her rope, and she pays for everything with flesh and bone. And he is boyish, eccentric, a whackjob, really and with so much open warmth and vulnerability I just want to bask.
And they are perfect for each other. I mentioned some time ago that the two main romantic modes in a kdrama are "they bicker/fight/hate then fall in love" and "he worships the ground she walks on." The latter is by far my favorite (which explains why romcoms are my least favorite genre - they tend to overwhelmingly prefer the first mode). And Daemul is such a great example - I love the way he loves her. It's just so total - he is always there to support her but there are no big dramatic gestures (not even when events themselves are dramatic - as when he gets stabbed in front of her). No, he is just there for whatever she needs, without making romantic demands because he knows she may still be grieving for her husband. And the thing is, she is worthy of such devotion - she is an amazing person but she also cares back for him, fiercely.
Even still in the hospital with the stab wound, he is cranky about her running for office - he is completely correct it's an insane idea with very slim chances of success. But she is nothing if not idealistic and optimistic (and hey, in his job he is the same - what sane prosecutor takes on the head of the biggest political machine out there?)
God, how are they so adorable? I love that in the sea of insanity around them, the two are so blessedly normal. And GHJ and KSW have such a lovely, natural chemistry.
I can't say I like Tae San but I find him fascinating. And I ship him fiercely with the hostess girl (whose name escapes me). They are sort of like a dark mirror to the idealists that are Hye Rim and Do Ya. (Also, how happy am I that for now it seems love quadrangle in its typical form is not present). Did I mention that I think Cha In Pyo and Lee Soo Kyung both radiate sexiness in this drama? Or how happy I am that here at last is a drama where all the protagonists and antagonists are adults - act like adults, think like adults, dress like adults?
I want a sexy prosecutor to protect me from a mob and then clear my name via legal documents. I honestly do not even see why the crowd got so egged on about their supposed relationship, except for the provocateurs - even if Hye Rim and Do Ya were dating - so what? She's a widow, he's single, they are in the same age bracket (he's only a few years younger) and he's a prosecutor. It's not as if she's a married lady who picked up a 19-yr-old boy hooker. But of course there are provocateurs AND rumors that they were hooking up even back when her husband was alive.
Hey, Do Ya, if you want to dispel the whole 'they are dating' rumors, perhaps you shouldn't be holding her face so tenderly in public, you know? Just saying.
And guess who is there to rescue her when she gets kidnapped by a crazy psycho (long story as to who he is, I am skipping it for now).
And who is there to always support her through thick and thin.
I just love the two of them together.
This whole quiet conversation was wonderful in every way, but my favorite part was when she said she feels apologetic towards his father because of those dating rumors and he asked "not to me?" and she replied that no, not to him - why should she, she is beautiful. You go, lady! And then she asked him "am I beautiful" and he looked at her and paused for the longest time, and then said very quietly "you are beautiful." And then she started to tease him for blushing.
You creepsters just totally fucked over my Do Ya, but I still ship you. I am hopeless.
GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH the last scene of ep 8 turned me into an incoherent, giddy, sniffy, ridiculous mess. Because he's always been there for her whenever needed but she's totally repaid it in kind - when she heard what happened, how investigation got wrecked and his career is close to over, she didn't even hesitate for a second, instead of doing what the political machine wanted her to, she just rushed over to where he was, so this time she could be the one comforting him.
Daemul, you are officially amazing.
I think Daemul is a perfect lesson in how your drama expectations can often be wrong. When it was first announced in 2008, I was a giddily excited fangirl. The drama (finally out in 2010) turned out nothing, nothing like I expected, and yet I love it madly, obsessively, ridiculously.
In my defense, when it was first announced, all I knew was that the manhwa this was to be based on was about the first female President of Korea and the gigolo her political enemies hired to bring her down (he was interested because of some revenge-related issues). Any plot/vibe similarity between that story and the story of a rising and idealistic female politician and her incorruptible prosecutor BFF/potential OTP - i.e. what the drama turned out to be about - is pretty marginal, one has to agree. (Yes, kdramas are known for their crazy plot twists and Daemul is scheduled for 26 eps, and may possibly get an extension if its insane ratings continue, but to imagine Do Ya becoming a gigolo, especially a gigolo dedicated to wrecking Hye Rim, requires more imagination than I currently possess).
So yes, entirely different beast, but I love it so very much. Its functional OTP in the middle of all the dirty politics, really makes it shine.
You know, there are no words for how much I love the OTP of Daemul. It would be so easy, with poorer writing, with poorer acting, to turn them into almost propaganda cliches - she is an idealistic politician fighting for the rights of her fellow citizens. And he is the hard-charging prosecutor, fighting corruption whenever he finds it.
And the thing is, the above is true, but that is nowhere near the sum total of it. No, they are nuanced flesh-and-blood people - she is often afraid, angry, at the end of her rope, and she pays for everything with flesh and bone. And he is boyish, eccentric, a whackjob, really and with so much open warmth and vulnerability I just want to bask.
And they are perfect for each other. I mentioned some time ago that the two main romantic modes in a kdrama are "they bicker/fight/hate then fall in love" and "he worships the ground she walks on." The latter is by far my favorite (which explains why romcoms are my least favorite genre - they tend to overwhelmingly prefer the first mode). And Daemul is such a great example - I love the way he loves her. It's just so total - he is always there to support her but there are no big dramatic gestures (not even when events themselves are dramatic - as when he gets stabbed in front of her). No, he is just there for whatever she needs, without making romantic demands because he knows she may still be grieving for her husband. And the thing is, she is worthy of such devotion - she is an amazing person but she also cares back for him, fiercely.
Even still in the hospital with the stab wound, he is cranky about her running for office - he is completely correct it's an insane idea with very slim chances of success. But she is nothing if not idealistic and optimistic (and hey, in his job he is the same - what sane prosecutor takes on the head of the biggest political machine out there?)
God, how are they so adorable? I love that in the sea of insanity around them, the two are so blessedly normal. And GHJ and KSW have such a lovely, natural chemistry.
I can't say I like Tae San but I find him fascinating. And I ship him fiercely with the hostess girl (whose name escapes me). They are sort of like a dark mirror to the idealists that are Hye Rim and Do Ya. (Also, how happy am I that for now it seems love quadrangle in its typical form is not present). Did I mention that I think Cha In Pyo and Lee Soo Kyung both radiate sexiness in this drama? Or how happy I am that here at last is a drama where all the protagonists and antagonists are adults - act like adults, think like adults, dress like adults?
I want a sexy prosecutor to protect me from a mob and then clear my name via legal documents. I honestly do not even see why the crowd got so egged on about their supposed relationship, except for the provocateurs - even if Hye Rim and Do Ya were dating - so what? She's a widow, he's single, they are in the same age bracket (he's only a few years younger) and he's a prosecutor. It's not as if she's a married lady who picked up a 19-yr-old boy hooker. But of course there are provocateurs AND rumors that they were hooking up even back when her husband was alive.
Hey, Do Ya, if you want to dispel the whole 'they are dating' rumors, perhaps you shouldn't be holding her face so tenderly in public, you know? Just saying.
And guess who is there to rescue her when she gets kidnapped by a crazy psycho (long story as to who he is, I am skipping it for now).
And who is there to always support her through thick and thin.
I just love the two of them together.
This whole quiet conversation was wonderful in every way, but my favorite part was when she said she feels apologetic towards his father because of those dating rumors and he asked "not to me?" and she replied that no, not to him - why should she, she is beautiful. You go, lady! And then she asked him "am I beautiful" and he looked at her and paused for the longest time, and then said very quietly "you are beautiful." And then she started to tease him for blushing.
You creepsters just totally fucked over my Do Ya, but I still ship you. I am hopeless.
GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH the last scene of ep 8 turned me into an incoherent, giddy, sniffy, ridiculous mess. Because he's always been there for her whenever needed but she's totally repaid it in kind - when she heard what happened, how investigation got wrecked and his career is close to over, she didn't even hesitate for a second, instead of doing what the political machine wanted her to, she just rushed over to where he was, so this time she could be the one comforting him.
Daemul, you are officially amazing.
