Kdrama Review: Bridal Mask (2012)

Bridal Mask/Gaksital

각시탈
7/10 ♥

I did it! I finally did it! What did I do? Watched Bridal Mask in under a week! 4 days to be specific (though I took a 2 day mandatory drama slump break in between).  Was it worth it? I’m not even sure. I have to be honest with you. I hated a lot of things about this drama.  I also disliked a great many more things. I did so much eye-rolling I once gave myself a headache. Snap decision rates this a 7. You’ll know why if you read beyond the spoilers mark below.

The Synopsis: During the Japanese occupation of Korea (ca. late 1930s) there is Bridal Mask – Freedom Fighter! Or, revenge fighter. Heaping revenge upon revenge, avenging wrongs that in turn incite others to enact revenge, so they can go out and again avenge someone else who died during someone else’s revenge. Yes teacher, I did learn how to properly use these two words. I’m just glad a drama finally gave me ample opportunity to use them.  Did I mention this is a revenge drama? Instead of a he said, she said; he killed, she killed. It’s also got one of the most torturesome bromances I have ever had the misfortune to sit through…

If this doesn't bode well, nothing will, bro. Nothing will. 

Back to the good part: Actually I can’t remember the good part anymore, but I know there was some! Something had to keep me glued to the TV for 28 hours, though it was probably curiosity more than anything else. Just how sucky can these characters’ fates actually get!?!

Probably the most epic of epic dramas (that I have seen recently), Bridal Mask the story of a Lee Kang To: a Korean ‘traitor’ employed in the Japanese Imperial Police. This is my first time with actor Joo Won, and though I can say I was pleased overall by his performance, I'm still not really his biggest fan.  More to my taste Park Ki Woong plays his best friend Kimura Shunji, a civilian school teacher in contrast to his more militarily minded father and older brother.

So how do they get from crying together on a bicycle to arch enemies on either side of a Korean-Japanese mob versus police war? Watch and find out, if you have the stomach to handle it.

Can't we just rationally discuss who gets the girl over tea time? Pretty please?

What I Liked:

For all the plot-wasting time, I found Bridal Mask to be a genuinely good story with some pretty compelling characters, especially in the initial set-up period of the drama: Kang To before he became Bridal Mask and Shunji before circumstances forced him to side with his father against his friend. 

Also, in keeping with my sudden realization that I’m prone to bit-player syndrome (as opposed even to second lead syndrome), I found myself watching more and more for a single character with about 5 seconds of screen time per episode. An unusual fascination perhaps, but I highly respect an actor who in a short amount of time can pull off a decent character with so little to work with.  My bit-player love this time around: Choi Dae Hoon as Lee Hae Seok, the son of a Korean count in cahoots with the Imperial government.  He’s everything a spoiled rich kid is supposed to be: playboy, carefree, friends with everyone, and deep down behind it a yearning that something is just not right with the world he occupies. If you expect to see a huge character arc from this guy, it’ll take a while (with about 1 major development per every 10 eps). I’m just giving credit where I think some is due. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the actor has been in anything else, ever. More’s the pity. I liked him way more than I did some of the main actors.

Ooh boy, do I love that smirk. Couldn't you have been the major player here??

What I Didn’t Like:

The romance – shockingly. I just didn’t feel it, and it’s mostly to do with the main female actress Jin Se Young as Oh Mok Dan. Her backstory is fine and dandy (for Kdrama standards), but as the pinnacle of our love triangle she’s almost too bland, and her acting while not horrid was not as compelling as others. I was mostly bored every time she came on screen, and only tolerated her because she was so vital to the story, and in the motivations behind our two main leads.

Also, I hate to admit it, but there were so many torture scenes in this abominable show that I almost wanted to yawn through them. Just how many times need we depict people being whipped or burned or put in a box with metal stakes. I think it was the writers’ go-to solution. “Well, what should we do now? The story’s slowed a bit.” “Hey, I know! Let’s have them bring this person back in for questioning and torture, AGAIN!” Repeat, two episodes later. And two episodes after that. Tedious, anyone?

Need more masked-man action, pppplease!!

Unfortunately I think Bridal Mask suffers much from a combination of too many small things to count. Almost as if it couldn’t decide what genre it really was (after the revenge drama part).  Maybe the length has to do with most of these faults. Read more for a short conclusion of why I gave this a higher rating than my initial reasoning demanded.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Jdrama Review: Kimi wa Petto (2003)

Kimi wa Petto

きみはペット
8/10 ♥♥

Out of desperation for something to watch, and with the loom of an approaching drama slump (I had just finished watching School), a friend recommended for me Kimi wa Petto. Two minutes later I started it. 24 hours later (after only 3 hours of sleep and a 4 hour work day) I was done. Can we say, most marathonable drama I have watched in months?

So what’s the story? Girl finds injured boy in a box; girl takes boy home and adopts him – as a dog. I’ll give you a second for your eyes to stop rolling. It works! I promise you, the story actually works! – Once you can get your mind wrapped around the premise that a 28 year old woman would actually be ok taking in a 20 year old homeless boy and in every way possible treating him as a master to its pet. 

Kato Koyuki plays Iwaya Sumire, a career woman so successful that she intimidates all the men around her. Matsumoto Jun is Godo Takeshi, or Momo the obedient dog.  Together they are one of the cutest onscreen couples I’ve ever seen. And when I say cute, I do mean cute as in ‘puppy dog’ cuteness.

So cute it’s downright awkward:

Yet the strength of the show lies in this very strained and awkward relationship. On one hand, the players are perfectly happy to pretend like it makes sense.  He needs a home and someone to feed him, she’s lonely and likes the companionship, especially at the end of a hard day. To come home from work to find a happy pet waiting anxiously for its owner? Tail wagging, happy and desperately giving out the mixed signals of ‘I love you - Feed me!’ No questions asked, no stressful conversations, and no obligations.

It’s a borderline perfect friendship, laced with a dangerous hint of sexual tension. Especially once Sumire begins an actual dating relationship with another man, and neglects to tell him about the ‘pet’ she keeps at home.  Tanabe Seiichi plays the ideal boyfriend Hasumi Shigehito, tall and even more career bound – perfect for the haughty Sumire whose shorter ex-boyfriend suffered an inferiority complex. Yet the person that begins to melt Sumire’s cold exterior is not the boyfriend she’s crushed on for years, but the warm and huggable stray living away tucked up in her apartment.

In case you’re worried that this isn’t enough conflict already to see this plot through to the end, fear not. Despite the wtf-premise of boy acting like dog, not everything is always fun and games with this couple, nor is the real issue behind their mutual farce completely ignored.  Takeshi/Momo may act like the perfect dog, loving and obedient, but behind the antics is a real human being, sadly cognizant of the reality of the situation. How long can they keep this up and how long he can keep his own feelings hidden drives the plotline of the latter half.  

Do I recommend this? Absolutely. Just shut off your brain for a tiny bit and roll with it.  It’s a unique romance story adapted from a manga – but unlike others of its origin, the drama’s characters are rarely overdone or overly dramatic. Even MatsuJun as the dog exhibits some depths of character as he switches between the happy-go-lucky puppy and the lone artist, dissatisfied with himself and his life.  Kato Koyuki’s Sumire is the real face-palming mystery of the show, unsure of herself and her feelings even as she practically two-times her boyfriend with a dehumanized dog. And yet, her strange behavior could not dampen how fun the drama is overall.  I’m already in a re-watching mood, and at 10 episodes, this seems eminently doable. 

Kdrama Review: Cheongdamdong Alice (2012)



Cheongdamdong Alice
청담동 앨리스
8/10 ♥♥

Get ready for a Park Shi Hoo fest! I’m only half kidding…  Cheongdamdong Alice was one this year’s dramas that I was almost positive I’d be skipping, at least for the currently airing season. Sometimes it’s easier to wait for feedback from the rest of the blogosophere. However, I was more than intrigued after the first couple episodes, thanks in full to the wonderful gif-maker kakashi. Please, see her blog and catch up on the insanity that is Park Shi Hoo acting ridiculous, over and over again in many endlessly entertaining loops. (It was seriously my husband’s favorite thing to do after completing each episode.)

Once started, the first episodes beyond PSH’s craziness were complete snoozers for me. Our main lead girl Han Se Kyung (played by the ever adorable Moon Geun Young) is a fashion designer wannabe struggling to make it in the professional world. She’s got a poor, broke and complete sob-buddy boyfriend (Can You Hear My Heart’s Nam Goong Min), and a crowd of social climber friends urging her to break it off with him and marry a rich man. Enter Park Shi Hoo’s character Cha Seung Jo (or as he likes to be called now, Jean-Thierry). He’s everything a Kdrama lead is supposed to be: rich, rude, rich, president of a fashion company, rich, well-dressed, rude, educated in Europe, and rich. The rest of the drama’s intro is classic and cliché. She mistakes him for a poor secretary, a farce he encourages, and the two fall into step. It’ll soon be love, no doubt.

It’s a story we’ve seen again and again (and I’m about sick of fashion – seriously - I like looking at pretty clothes, but I’m mostly a jeans and T-shirt sort of gal). Somewhere around episode 6 though, I became invested. It hit me so instantly I don’t even remember when it happened. While not everything after that moment was perfect, shockingly this has become one of my more favorite dramas of the season. And because there’s obviously something to this, I think it’s worth a look a few aspects that make Cheongdamdong Alice actually memorable and unique.

Fairytale as Metaphor

This drama certainly isn’t the first to incorporate (or at least reference ad nauseum) a fairytale story (think Secret Garden’s ‘little mermaid’ theme). What’s interesting though is how matter-of-factly the drama takes its Alice character Han Se Kyung.  Se Kyung is the young but not naive girl who finds herself in a the ‘wonderland’ that is Cheongdamdong, a fashionable neighborhood populated by the wealthy and influential, all of whom are probably a little on the ridiculous side (though none so much as the arguably insane Seung Jo). Where the parallel stops though is that Se Kyung doesn’t just haphazardly follow a white rabbit into the hole leading to Cheongdamdong, she actively seeks a white rabbit as someone who will lead her into this new world. Social expert Tommy Hong (Kim Ji Suk) becomes her first target – her goal: an initially nondescript rich husband, and a home and position in Cheongdamdong.

It’s a Cinderella story punctured by one sinister fact: Se Kyung isn’t an innocent damsel in distress waiting to be rescued by her prince charming. As the story progresses, Se Kyung loses more and more of her ‘niceness’ and practically wills herself to become black-hearted for the sake of achieving her goals. She might love Seung Jo, but had he not been a rich chaebol, the story hints that Se Kyung probably would’ve given him up. Her poverty isn’t merely back story. For Se Kyung it is a lifestyle she will give up no matter the costs, and she will give up almost anything to become Seung Jo’s wife, even if it means lying to him, and continuing to lie for the rest of her life.

Se Kyung’s time in Wonderland, however, is forever measured by her continuing successes. One mistake, one fall, and she could find herself back in her poverty-stained reality.  To succeed, she must overcome all the difficulties in her path, particularly those set up by the people who are out to expose her secrets. In relation to the original Alice story, I came across this assessment:  

“The animals of Wonderland are of particular interest, for Alice's relation to them shifts constantly because, as Lovell-Smith states, Alice's changes in size continually reposition her in the food chain, serving as a way to make her acutely aware of the ‘eat or be eaten’ attitude that permeates Wonderland.”

This ‘eat or be eaten’ attitude is especially vital, though perhaps Se Kyung envisions it a little differently: if other people can act like mercenaries, doing whatever they want to achieve or maintain their status, then why can’t she? If they can lie and be backhanded, why shouldn’t she? If she refuses to stick up for herself, unlike heroines in other fairy tale Kdramas, Se Kyung recognizes the possibility of being beaten down, and no one will come to her rescue.  Her journey is marked with highs and lows; sometimes she has the best hand, and sometimes her enemies hold the trump card.

A New Kind of Character

At best, Se Kyung’s blunt and mercenary behavior makes her a unique figure in Dramaland.  At worst, it positions her very close to what the despised second lead character is supposed to act like, and I’m not sure Kdrama watchers are really ready for this kind of development – especially with the ever looming possibility that Park Shi Hoo is going to cry and break the hearts of fangirls everywhere.  Moon Geun Young may receive criticism for her characters’ lack of warmth and ever stony expression; I however believe she acted her part well, consistent to Se Kyung’s emotional hesitancy of becoming the black-hearted gold-digger.

Honorable mention for the twist of character types is So Yi Hyun’s role in Seo Yoon Joo. Initially typecast as the villainous second lead, and first love to Seung Jo, Yoon Joo is actually a forerunner to Se Kyung’s schemes of upward mobility.  Having successfully entered Cheongdamdong, she pities her former school mate and reluctantly aids Se Kyung. They are far from BFFs, but their relationship is every bit as intriguing as the main romance line. As our story progresses, Yoon Joo becomes less and less villainous, and more pitiable. Viewers question her sincerity to help Se Kyung, and wonder at her advice, as every move Yoon Joo makes in her self-imposed Wonderland reveals how hollow her existence is, and how fleeting her happiness may be. Yet, she is a fully fleshed out character, not purely evil nor corrupt, and every bit as relatable near the drama’s end.

Conclusions

I may have painted Cheongdamdong Alice in a rather somber light, but the drama is also hilarious.  Be sure to check out its many comic gems especially in Park Shi Hoo’s zany character, his pricelessly throat-clearing father, every interaction between the main leads’ fathers, Tommy Hong’s ridiculous expressions (not to mention his ‘wtf’ wardrobe), and the great cast of side character friends, all as cute as they are helpful in motivating the OTP.  It’s a cast that adds to the drama more than it detracts, and I can’t often say that about most side characters or second leads. Therefore, thumbs up Alice, and I will miss the time we spent together.

Jdrama Review: Buzzer Beat (2009)

Buzzer Beat

ブザー・ビート
7/10 ♥

It’s been awhile since I watched this Jdrama, but since I’ve been mulling over some recent Jdramas (and their complete lack of credible romance stories), I’ve been thinking more and more about Buzzer Beat, and its extremely capable and compelling love story. Yes, you heard it right. This drama brings out all the stops – or at least most of them – with romance, hugging, kissing, cuddling, and a million other “awww”-worthy moments. Also, there’s some basketball. I actually like basketball, so this drama is pretty well set in my books. Minus a few irritations, side characters, and cliché plot holes, Buzzer Beat’s 11 episodes are a fun watch, and well worth the time.

Want proof about its watchability factor? On the few nights where I couldn’t access my real computer, I savored this drama (meaning, I totally marathoned it) on youtube with Spanish subs. Note to self: my freshman high school Spanish is completely not up to scraps. I needed a dictionary to translate the Spanish subs of a Japanese language drama. Now that’s obsessed.

Buzzer Beat stars Yamapi, or Yamashita Tomohisa, as Kamiya Naoki, a less than stellar pro-basketball player with a low salary and no fans. Kitagawa Keiko is our other lead star Shirakawa Riko, a bummed, single violinist without a job. Both are struggling to stay confident about their sport/art when circumstances throw them together. What follows is a halfway original story of personal growth as the two develop a sincere friendship with one another, and perhaps the chance of something more.  

Up even past the halfway mark, both the story and the romance (aka ‘Total Cuteness-ity’) are riveting. Unfortunately, the show’s failings lay in the last few episodes, where the writers throw on heavy doses of angst and lost almost all of my attention. I mean, I figured there would be a nice sweet ending, but must it really be necessary to suffer so much to get there? It’s a little sad that a perfectly wonderful show was ruined by Kdrama-esque plot holes and noble idiots pandering about in circles, but overall the strength of the earlier episodes (at least 82% of the drama) were fine and dandy. Buzzer Beat even does a good job at not turning every side character into an exact stereotype, a feat for which I am I always grateful.

If only this show was perfect. Our characters were already
great. I guess that'll make up for most of it. 

My vote is that you watch it for the leads, and turn your brain off by episode 9. That should make things all better. Read more for a not totally spoilery episode-by-episode account, and some of my favorite Buzzer Beat drama quotes.