Hong Gil Dong!!!!!!!! and Que Sera Sera

[dangermousie]

SUBS FOR EPISODE 11 OF HONG GIL DONG ARE OUT

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Yeah, I am turning into a nutter over this drama but can't help it)

ETA: Am on ep 10 of Que Sera Sera and OTP, stop being so awesome and adorable and functional together. I know what's coming so it's like a knife being stabbed. Stop it, OK! (In retrospect, I wonder how I got through Bali. It was the same level of otping and dysfunction but without the happy ending). Also, moral of the story: never give your pretend fiancee your address, she'll come stalk you.

Seriously, that is why I hate Hye Lin. Fine, you still love a guy who dumped you (though to begin with, that's ridiculous. He never pretended to like you and you were strictly in a business relationship only so you could hardly say he decieved you). But once he said it's over (18 times) it's over. Stop running after him, and trying to interfere, and other things equally ridiculous. I mean, if you were a guy, there'd be calls for restraining orders. WTF. Clingy. Hate clingy.

ETA2: Oh whaaaaa???? Hye Lin offers him marriage! Girl, have some pride. And she basically offers to buy him, with her explicit 'you like good life and women with everything, I can give it to you.' Whaaaaaa???? Who does that?

You know what I love? The obstacles in this drama all come from the characters themselves and not the cliche external forces like amnesia or cancer. And ohhhhhh, ohhhhh, Eun Soo's sister is very ill and her health care needs a lot of money, with Tae Joo and ES don't have (you know, I didn't hate ES' Mom oddly in the scene when she asked if TJ could take care of the bills...she is a desperate woman). And Hye Lin gets her Dad to talk to TJ about making him successor of everything.

You see where this is going. You know I love that Tae Joo's decision to give up Eun Soo is not wholly altruism (to get the money for her sister) and not wholly selfishness (he likes a nice life). It's an intextricable mixture of both. He wouldn't have gone for it if ES didn't have those woes, but that's not all there is, he is drawn to fast cars and good living, too. But oh, when he comes into his apartment to find ES asleep on the bed and sort of curls up around her, and you can tell he just wants her to keep sleeping so he can do it and not have the conversation. And then he tells her 'I have to marry Hye Lin.' (interesting choice of words, there).

Oh, Tae Joo! You idiot! Remember what a total wreck you were when you thought you lost Eun Soo. And this time it will be worse because she won't take you back like this, and you made it like this. I do love that he never lies to Eun Soo, either about what he is or why of things (unless he doesn't realize things himself).

I love you, drama!

Comments

[hiiyaa.livejournal.com]

*flails with youuu~~~~*

I'm so happy I didn't break down and watched beforehand, that first scene in the store room was hilarious and I would've destroyed it for myself had I tried to watch it before. Guh, I'm so obsessed with this, off to watch the rest! XD

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Mr Mousie and I are going to watch tonight. So excited!

[fivil.livejournal.com]

You know I love that Tae Joo's decision to give up Eun Soo is not wholly altruism (to get the money for her sister) and not wholly selfishness (he likes a nice life). It's an intextricable mixture of both.
Oh, excellent point. :D

I'd forgotten about the angsty bed scene. Oh god. Drastic contrast to the beginning of ep 10 bed scene where everything's white and happy and just so perfect.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

QSS is just so excellently written, you know.

A lot of kdramas would have made TJ into this pure-hearted martyr, hating every minute of what he has to do but nobly doing for his OTP, but not QSS. Like I said, I don't think he would have gone for Hye Lin's purchase of him (because really, that is what that is. And whatever the characters' views on this, to me it's no different than a prostitute, only for life and not for a night) if it wasn't for the fact that Eun Soo needs the money for her sister, even if he might have missed the nice life. I mean, he had no problem chucking it all back in HL's face earlier. But it's also not wholly 'oh, I am so noble and selfless.' He likes the good clothes, and he likes the fast car, and he likes the thought of being a successor to that corp. That is why the bargain is so insidious and will probably give him major manpain and self-loathing later.

In a way, it's a lot easier to cope when you are convinced you are doing something with no ignoble motive, a sort of 'I'll sell my kidney for my mom's medical care' type thing where there is obviously no pleasure in the act of sacrifice. But it's not like that at all here. I mean, I don't care for HL, but she is a beautiful woman who loves him and who will give him oodles of cash and who he doesn't even have to decieve about state of his heart. And TJ is not one of those people who hides behind self-delusion. So yeah, I think he is in for some majorly nasty time.

I'd forgotten about the angsty bed scene. Oh god. Drastic contrast to the beginning of ep 10 bed scene where everything's white and happy and just so perfect.

I love that so much. It's clear, he loves her so much and is so at peace with her, and is throwing it all away and he knows he is, but I love how he wants to delay it as much as he can (but the thing I love about him, is he doesn't. Once she is awake he takes her to dinner and ends it. He doesn't sneak, you know?)

I have no idea if he'll go through marriage with HL (I am not spoiled for that particular part, though I don't mind being spoiled for it) but if he did, talk about a disaster marriage. HL is high-strung and high-maintenance and not having total adoration of her husband and knowing she had to buy him would eventually drive her nutty. And he would just loathe himself throughout. Though you know what it makes me think of a little? Willoughby in Sense & Sensibility and his marrige by the end, where he does miss Marianne but his life isn't always awful. But of course, TJ is not a liar and a cheat like Willoughby and isn't totally selfish to the core, so I think he won't have such an easy out.

ETA: i've been reading dramabeans' excellent blogs on QSS and I think she summed up in one sentence what I've been trying to say in a very verbose fashion: I see Eun Soo as bringing out the person Tae Joo wants to be, but with Hye Rin, Tae Joo’s often overwhelmed with his sense of inferiority — his belief that he himself is a bastard, someone who can’t aspire to the same happiness as others."

Argh, the writing on this drama is so good. The way it's going, it will end up a top 10 favorite.

[fivil.livejournal.com]

Hee, I think you've found a drama besides HGD that you & dramabeans.com can agree on. A lot of this I seem to somewhat remember from her QSS posts. She also thought the drama was very well-written (and she knows Korean, too so obviously the dialogues are good on the linguistic front, too). And I can relate to her love of QSS because we both prefer comedic/light dramas as opposites to overwrought melodrama/angsty ones. And yet I adore QSS!

And yeah, oh man how does he suffer from here on. He keeps a lid on it, sort of, though, and the small outbursts, however small are just so magnificently beautiful to watch.

And yep, he could delay it, and I think in a more typical drama he would.. Bearing the pain of having to let her go for one more day, and the viewers get their Kleenex ready. But of course, that would also be kind of cruel, to lead her on to thinking they'll be happy and everything will be fine when it's all going to go down, and fast.

I wish there was a DramaWiki page on the writer because yes, it is a very well written drama and especially very atypical. I was looking back at my posts on the drama and holy crap, it had some hillarity as well. I would love to know if the writer has worked or will work on anything else.. Oh, just found that he's co-written this: http://www.koreanwiz.org/drama-scentofmen.html (which is one of the step-sibling love dramas :D).

Man, I need an icon for this drama.. Oh, also, did you know YEH was originally cast as Eun-soo? She withdrew thanks to health reasons. It's weird to picture her as ES because the actress of the character is so capable but I don't know, I have faith that YEH could've pulled it off, as well. (Also interesting that Eric took like a 4-month holiday post-QSS shooting. I guess the role really took its toll on the guy..)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Scent of a Man? LOL, that is the worst drama title ever. makes me think of sweaty socks :)

But of course, that would also be kind of cruel, to lead her on to thinking they'll be happy and everything will be fine when it's all going to go down, and fast.


Exactly. TJ has plenty of severe falws (he can be cruel, he can be appalling self-absorbed) but he never lies and he doesn't do deception. Not even to himself. And I love that about him.

Hee, I think you've found a drama besides HGD that you & dramabeans.com can agree on.

LOL, yes. I will still never get her love for Hyang-Dan though :) It's the total definition of timepass, IMO :)

Oh, also, did you know YEH was originally cast as Eun-soo?

I know, but I can't imagine it at all. I am sure she would have done a good job, but the actress just so owns this character, you know? Just like I know Joo Ji Hoon was initially cast as Hong Gil Dong and I can't see it at all. Whatsoever.

is a very well written drama and especially very atypical

It is. It has incredibly sharp writing and is just so well-paced and complicated. The one other serious contemporary kdrama which I've seen do this is A Love to Kill. Only ALTK makes me think of a Russian novel and QSS makes me think of a French one.

[fivil.livejournal.com]

Makes me think the heroine will go blind during the first 3 eps and spends the rest of the time sniffing out her step-bro while crying. So weird.

I've actually been trying to look for what I think is her ultimate favourite, a drama called "Soulmate" which basically has all kinds of people finding their soulmates in life. It sound peculiar and fascinating.

Seems we're kind of lucky with these drama castings failing to live up. And yep, Jung Yoo-mi is totally Eun-soo. I think she looks older than YEH but at the same time has that childish quality.. so you basically see that this is not really a young character, but she's still very naive. Plus I love YEH but I think she might've made the comedy more outrageous in this, not as dark as it really is (and should be).

Oh man, I can't draw literary references for this drama. :D And I've yet to see end of ep 12.. I know some spoilers but I don't know if the drama will continue to be as solid. Will see.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

heroine will go blind during the first 3 eps and spends the rest of the time sniffing out her step-bro while crying

I would pay good money for that.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

You know what I love? The obstacles in this drama all come from the characters themselves and not the cliche external forces like amnesia or cancer.

You see, this is what I usually don't like so much. I prefer the obstacles that come from outside. For this period dramas are better - war, mayhem, social disparity - all legitimate causes of suffering. :D But ( I know this sounds unkind and I apologise) people with problems of their own making don't appeal to me. I feel for them, I want to help them if I meet them in RL but I don't find them attractive (I like them but not in "OMPH! he is so hot!") sort of way.

I don't know why I wrote this - long day, long day. :D

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Hope your day gets better! It's Friday!

You see, this is what I usually don't like so much.

And yet you like ALTK :)

For me, it depends. I don't like it if the people are at fault, so to speak: i.e. the person is weak, or can't make up their mind, or what not. Then I lose patience. But if the character ambiguity is drawn as compellingly as it's here (or was in Bali), if the character is complex and complicated and has to find himself (or herself) and realize what it is they 'are', I love those kinds of stories. Because in QSS, sure there are external stimuli, and some pretty hefty ones: Heroine's sister needs a lot of money in order to be saved and the Secondary Girl will give all of this cash to Hero if he marries her (and in fact first thing he does next ep is pay the bill), but I like the ambiguity that is inherent in the fact that the Hero himself, in some part, likes the 'good' life he could have with Secondary Girl so in that way, while he wouldn't do it if not for the little sis, it's not just the very simplistic 'pure noble guy doing right' stuff but also complicatedness.

Does it makes sense?

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

And yet you like ALTK :)

Hee! There I blame everything on the horrible brother and his passive-aggressive ways. :D

if the character is complex and complicated and has to find himself (or herself) and realize what it is they 'are', I love those kinds of stories.

This makes the perfect sense! I think this is the same for me, but it works fo me on individual basis. For example, in "Bali" (I take this example because I don't really know QSS so well) there clearly was such a HUGE parental baggage. But still, the main hero could have left his horrid father. And even more still, I don't at all approve :D of his "last" act. Whatever happens, this was creepy for me. Whatever happens, he was selfish. ULTIMATELY selfish.

But as you say, it worked for me in ALTK. May be because Bok-gu always tried to do the best for OTHERS, not for himself. I like this. :D

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Re: Bali. Well, he did leave his father at the end, but it was too late by then. Of course, seeing that his Dad had a lot of power, $$$ and viciouness, if he left, the person hurt would have been the heroine. Plus, if you are abused, you get all sorts of weird mental issues which prevent you from thinking rationally.

Re: ATLK. Yeah, brother was weak and all, but Bokgu could have done so many things differently. For one, allowed himself happiness! Ah, then it wouldn't be altk we know and love :)