dangermousie | Padam Padam episode 1 - I know I may be precipitous, but this is my drama of 2011 (Reply)

Got your attention now? Good.

Below is unspoilery for even ep 1, btw.

GUUUUUUUH

GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH

And no, I don't just mean Jung Woo Sung's body.

This is amazing. Not surprising with that cast and Noh Hee Kyung writing, and yet I am still surprised. Padam Padam doesn't feel like a drama at all. It feels, looks, and flows like an indie movie. It's smart but it also makes me feel (perhaps too much - I need to safeguard my heart so I won't spend hours crying if/when something bad happens).

I've heard the reviews on this are mixed and I get that - if Me Too Flower marches to the beat of its own drummer, Padam Padam is marching to the beat of its own ginormous band. It makes me think of Jo In Sung's movie "Dirty Carnival," with some "Friend Our Legend" and "Mawang" dramas thrown in. But that is just me trying to find comparisons - Padam Padam is very much its own thing.

And honestly, this drama is worth checking out if for no other reason than the performances - Kim Bum continues to prove he stands out among the young actors (and he holds his own against Jung Woo Sung, which is something else). Han Ji Min is prickly, off-beat and real (and with marvelous chemistry with JWS). But the drama belongs to Jung Woo Sung and even if nothing else about Padam Padam grabs you, you simply must peek in to see the man showcase his incredible acting chops. This more than makes up for the horror of Athena (I will never forgive the makers for finally getting him to do a drama and then wasting all that power and charisma).