I command you to Answer me, 1997!! Answer Me Please!!!!

Answer me 1997/ Reply 1997, not sure what is up with the title because neither one seemed to make much sense to me in English.  Then, I watched it and I think I got it.  I stayed away from this one initially because the synopsis described it as being focused on 1990s K-pop.  Stuff that is almost 20 years old and out of my league cause I know nothing about K-pop from that decade and figured everything would be over my head.  That was a bad judgement call on my part, when I think about it again, since I love sageuks and knew absolutely nothing about Korean history when I started them, and also dramas set in the 1980s like Giant and East of Eden I still enjoyed immensely without knowing the situation in Korea then.  So why did I shy away from this one?  I think it was the whole girl obsessed with a boy band member.  I never understand those kinds of people and figured a drama about teens in the 1990s, with a boy band obsessed girl was not my cup of tea.  Yet, again I couldn’t escape the buzz online.  It was everywhere.  Another cable drama drumming up interest and that is so rare for a cable drama to do, that my curiosity was peaked. 

And so, I was transported 15 years from 2012, to Pusan 1997.  Right off the bat, I had some trouble with this drama because it was based in Pusan and had Pusan dialects.  My Korean is not that good, and Pusan dialects just sound like a completely foreign language to me at times (well another completely foreign language to that of Seoul dialect).  Anyway, although it was a distraction, it didn’t deter me from the drama and I was introduced to the adult versions of the main characters. 

Sung Shi Won (Jung Eun Ji), who is an assistant writer for TV dramas (basically the lowest on the food chain since from her own descriptions she only labels things).  Anyway, we meet her on her way to a high school reunion, where we meet the other characters Yoon Yoon Jae (Seo In Guk), Kang Jun Hee (Ho-Ya), Mo Yoo Jung (Shin So Yool), Do Hak Chan (Eun Ji Won) and Bang Sung Jae (Lee Shi Un).  They have all been friends since high school and then the exciting twist and the whole point of this show, we learn that among this group of friends two of them will announce that they are getting married.  So in a group of four guys and two girls we have one couple and thus the intrigue begins.  We, the audience are pulled back to 1997 and follow the friendship of these six as they grow from crazy 18 year olds to their adult selves.  It is a fun, exciting and intriguing tale as the viewer is eager to learn who the happy couple will be.  Of course, most people are rooting for the main pair of Shi Won and Yoon Jae, but as the twists and turns come out in the tale we realise that they might not be the ones heading down the aisle.  

What I love about this drama is the mix between the 1990s and 2012.  I know absolutely nothing about Korea at that point in history, but it doesn’t matter.  Knowledge is not the point.  We can follow Shi Won in her crazy obsession with boy band H.O.T and her favorite singer Tony and find it all hilarious as she does the stupidest and craziest things as an obsessed fan.  While I don’t get a lot of the 1990s references or her obsession with H.O.T as I know none of their music (sacrilege I know to H.O.T fans hehe) but I still loved her crazy antics.  Shi Won’s sheer dedication to the K-pop group is down-right laugh out loud funny to watch.  Then her relationship with her parents probably speaks to all the teenage girls out there, whose parents just don’t get what they are about and drive them insane. 

Then of course there is the friendship.  Bonds made as their teenage selves, help to carry them through their 20s to early 30s.  It is an amazing and wonderful journey of growing up and maturing, told in a humourous way.  Of course, that added hint of mystery as to who is the engaged couple, plus the additional mystery that pops up as the story unfolds keeps you at the edge of your seats.  You desperately want to know who the couple is or for that matter who the final guy is that the girl ends up with, yet, you’re afraid it’s not who you want it to be.  It is an extremely well-written tale and beautifully directed.  I mean how many times can you make me want to throw something at my computer  by letting me think: "Ah, it’s him." and then letting me down when the other possible character does the exact same thing and then I am no longer sure.  UGGGG!!!!  Waiting for the big reveal is agonising, takes you to a nail biting finish, yet I wouldn’t trade a second of it even if she ends up with the guy I am rooting for or not.

So, what does Answer me 1997/ Reply 1997 mean?  Simply put, as these adults continue to grow and change, they are looking for the answers in life in their teenage selves.  It is that idea of looking back and understanding your past before you can truly continue with your future.  And  I really like that.  Perhaps, it is not the best way to express such a deep premise, or maybe the title simply looses something in the translation, whatever it may be I enjoy the characters' journey of self discovery.  Therefore, Answer me 1997/ Reply 1997 gets a big four stars from me. 

According to Bel: It’s an answer worth waiting for!

Jang Geum: The Jewel in the Palace

So sageuk time again.  Yes, I watch a lot of sageuk, haven't I already explained this?  This time we look at Dae Jang Geum (English title Jewel in the Palace), although if we wanted to translate literally it means Great Jang Geum and what a great woman she was too.  This particular drama has been around for almost ten years, but it hasn't lost its popularity.  In fact, it seems to have gained popularity and spreads farther overseas than any other K-drama ever has.  I have to give it kudos for that, since that's not an easy feat.  Anyway, on to the review.

Dae Jang Geum follows the life of Jang Geum (Lee Young Ae) as she grows from being a simple palace maid to the king's physician.  It is an amazing and heartwarming journey, with the typical political shenanigans of a Joseon era drama.  Jang Geum gets caught up in the political struggle but remains steadfast in her desires and dreams.  The loyalty and friendships that develop along Jang Geum's journey are also so tightly and neatly woven, that you enjoy watching people beginning to accept her and help her on her journey.  Though this drama is not one of my must watch sageuks I can understand why it is so immensely popular.  You learn so much about the Joseon era, from an intriguing and endearing journey of one woman and the impact that her life has had on others.  If Dong Yi hadn't spoilt me perhaps I would love Dae Jang Geum more.  The acting is phenomenal and the directing top notch (although I wouldn't expect any less from Lee Byung Hoon since he directed Dong Yi as well (Haha, if I wanted to get technical he directer Dae Jang Geum first, but forget that we are talking in the order of how I watched things here. Hehe). 

The love story in Dae Jang Geum is also very appealing, since it moves away from the overused King falls for palace maid trope and makes palace maid a concubine, even though they demonstrate that King does indeed fall for Jang Geum, she instead falls in love with one of the military officials.  I quite enjoy that change.  It doesn't hurt either that the military official Min Jung Ho is played by Ji Jin Hee whom I loved as the King in Dong Yi.  His versatility as an actor to play an intense hero in one drama and a weakling in another is fascinating to me.  

Another aspect of Dae Jang Geum that I enjoyed was the cuisine.  It was extremely interesting to see the variety and quality of Korean dishes in this drama, and furthermore the medicinal properties of many foods.  It was like getting an educational lesson without the stress of a class.  Hehe.  I learnt so much and didn't feel irritated by it. 

It was a drama that I enjoyed watching from beginning to end, and Jang Geum's journey soon became my journey. Therefore, for its depth and reach I give Dae Jang Geum four stars on the Bel scale. 

According to Bel: It's a gem.

Is he a vampire? No. Is he a prosecutor? No. He's the Vampire Prosecutor.

Leave it to a K-dramaland to combine two elements that I currently love to create one fantastic drama.  The OCN cable drama Vampire Prosecutor combines the fictional world of blood-sucking vampire fantasy with crime scene investigation.  I mean what could be better than that, right?  To be fair, I actually thought a lot of things could be better than that, cause Korean crime scene investigation dramas generally leave a lot to be desired on my part, and vampires popping up every which place since the emergence of the Twilight Saga and The Vampire Diaries TV show has been driving me nuts.  So how would a K-drama handle it?  I feared finding out and steered clear of Vampire Prosecutor. So what made me attempt this seemingly doomed drama? It's avid fanbase.  Comments on how "great" the drama was, continued to pop up all over my internet searches.  Even more astounding was the fact that it broke the 4% view ratings on a cable drama which in itself is a feat.

I am not one to jump on the band wagon because of fan comments (I often share differing views), but I checked out the cast and found that Yung Jung Hoon who was excellent in the tortured story of brotherly love which is East of Eden was the leading man in this drama, plus the quirky and bubbly Lee Young Ah, of King of Baking: Kim Tak Goo fame was the female lead.  I decided well it can't hurt to watch one episode. One of the best decisions I have ever made. 

Fangs and Blue eyes the vampire trademark.

Vampire Prosecutor follows the story of Min Tae Yeon (Yung Jung Hoon) who is a well-known prosecutor seeking justice against the dangerous criminals.  There is just one difference between Tae Yeon and his other counterparts, he is a vampire.  Once a human being, while in pursuit of another criminal, who happened to be a vampire, he was bitten and turned against his will.  Tae Yeon now chooses to fight against his natural instinct to feed on living beings, and rather become a diligent prosecutor bringing criminals to justice.  How does he survive without drinking blood from living humans?  Don't go thinking he kills animals like the Cullens or Stephan Salvatore, he opts for the more Damonesque method of getting blood from a blood supplier who also happens to be a bartender.  Interesting right?

What I love about this drama is that despite the vampire premise, it is not a drama about vampires.  First and foremost, Tae Yeon is a prosecutor, he just happens to be a vampire.  Kind of like being a prosecutor who happens to be a vegetarian.  Bad analogy I know, but you get where I am going with the food reference right?  Anyway, Tae Yeon's senses have been heightened due to his supernatural abilities and moreover, once he drinks little blood from the dead victim he can see the final moments of their death, greatly assisting in his investigation process.  I like that his being a vampire helps him in his day to day job.

What would K-dramaland be without Bromance?

Of course, Tae Yeon does not work alone.  His team is made up of the perfect blend of eccentric and intriguing individuals that adds to the dramas development.  He works with police officer Hwang Soon Bum (Lee Won Young) who is actually privy to the fact that Tae Yeon is a vampire.  You don't say.  And the friendship and interactions between these two guys are fantastic.  Soon Bum is the funny, "lazy" cop, who likes the easy way of doing things, but is still top notch at his job.  And boy, how do I love the scenes where Soon Bum teases a vampire.  Doesn't seem like the smartest thing to do, but that's bromance in dramaland for you. Then there's the lovely Yoo Jung In (Lee Young Ah) who is a junior prosecutor.  She is straight-laced and full with the desire to catch the bad guys no matter what, while trying to get acknowledgement from her stone-faced boss, who keeps her at a distance.   She also has her own mysterious past which adds to her zeal for justice.  The sexual tension between Tae Yeon and Jung In is also sizzling, but of course, Tae Yeon fights getting close to her, since you know, she looks all tasty and everything and he doesn't want to tempt fate.

I enjoy that every week there are new murders to solve and most are not as black and white as they seem.  There is the overall story arc of the "big bad" vampire that Tae Yeon was chasing to begin with, and slowly week to week, as they solve minor cases, we get more insight, not only into the characters but, more leads as to who the "big bad" vampire is.  It's a well written script and excellently directed and performed.  You cannot talk about Vampire Prosecutor without mentioning the beauty of how it was filmed.  The shots are sublime and use of colour and technique are phenomenal.  If I was just rating on looks, it gets a full five stars on that. 

For me, it's a great investigation drama, and I was excited trying to solve mystery week to week.  It was intense, but fun, with the right amount of humour and intensity to keep me going weekly.  I give it a four and half star rating.

According to Bel: It quenches my thirst.

Gaksital: What is the Cost of Being a Hero?

 

So perhaps the most emotionally intense drama of 2012 has ended as Gaksital wrapped up its last episode this week.  All I can say is WOW!!!! 

This drama got me and it got me good.  I have been a Joo Won fan since his “bad guy” role as Ma Jun in Kim Tak Goo: Baker King, then saw him in Ojakgyo Brothers, as the tormented third brother as well as the lead of that drama.  Both were phenomenal and strong performances, and I have to say very few actors portray heart-wrenching emotions as well as Joo Won, and boy did he deliver in Gaksital.   Gaksital (English name Bridal Mask) is the tale of a masked hero who wears a Bridal mask in his freedom fight to help Korea gain its independence from Japanese colonisation.    

Set in the early 1930s, we find ourselves in the mist of the Japanese annexation of Korea.   I have to admit that I had very little knowledge of this time period, but Gaksital triggered my curiosity and led me to research that time period.  It was a dark, bleak and miserable time in Korean history and Gaksital portrayed it as such.  If you do not like a drama with angst, tension, heartbreak, turmoil and suffering walk away now.  Hehe.  When I put it that way, I don’t know why anyone would want to watch it in the first place.  Regardless of those torturous moments, the drama tells the beautiful tale of a fight for freedom, the cost of heroism, and the growth from boy to man.   

Lee Kang To should win an award for best dressed hero.

Joo Won’s character Lee Kang To starts off as the ever efficient and loyal police officer who turns against his own people to serve the Japanese, abusing and controlling Koreans.  He is the practical sort of guy, working hard in his job despite the hatred he gains from other Koreans and the disdain from his mother and brother as well.  His brother, Lee Kang San (Shin Hyun Joon), was a involved in fights for independence during university and as a result of his capture and interrogation his brother is now mentally challenged living daily in the body of a man and the mentality of a five year old.  Kang To has successfully established himself as a reliable and efficient police officer and is placed in charge of the Gaksital case, a case which (unknown to him) will eventually lead to him assuming the gaksital mantle.  I love that this drama began with Kang To as the villain in the story because “evil” Kang To was so easy to dislike.  It’s a testimony to how well Joo Won portrayed the character.  Watching him transform from the “prick” to the hero was a wonderful experience.  But that for me was not the best part of this drama.  The beauty of Gaksital lies in the human interactions.

One such interaction is the love between the brothers Kang To and Kang San.  There is something so deep and heart warming about their relationship that gets me right in the heart.  Then, there is the Kimura Shunji (Park Ki Woong) and Kang To relationship.  Best friends in a turbulent time period where Japanese and Koreans did not meld well together.  It was a friendship that transcended the different nationalities and was one of the best “bromances” I have ever seen.  Alas, it could not last.  The fact of the matter is that Shunji is the son of one of the terribly awful Japanese officers in the drama, Kimura Taro, and from that alone we know he has the potential to become bad. Therefore, I love the watching Shunji’s transformation as well.  He moves from being the lighthearted friendly school teacher, to one of the best villains I have seen in a K-drama to date.  His brand of bad is particularly intriguing because we have seen him good.  We know what he once was and saw what he was becoming and that added to the emotional intensity of the drama.  A lot of my appreciation for Shunji’s transformation also lies in the actor who portrayed him.  If anyone other than Park Ki Woong was in that role I do not think it would’ve had the same intensity.  I must admit that I was thoroughly impressed with him as well. 

My one problem with Gaksital lies in the love story line.  The entire storyline of Mok Dan (Jin Se Jun) being the first love of both Kang To and Shunji under different names was a little too much for me.  Mok Dan’s character as the daughter of the freedom fighter Dam Sa Ri was a waste to me.  She spent the majority of the drama as a tool used to catch the hero or her father.  It kept repeating itself over and over.  Catch Mok Dan, release her, catch her again, release her again and so on and so forth.   While I like that Mok Dan wanted to fight for freedom and help out her father, I think the repetitiveness of her character’s capture forced me not to take her seriously.  She came across as a silly girl getting herself into positions where she could be captured and that just didn’t bode well with me.  I would’ve much rather seen Ra Ra/ Ueno Rie’s (Hang Chae Ah) character as the main female lead.  There was so much potential for her character.  A Korean woman who has assumed a Japanese identity and was working for the bad guys in this drama was a character with multiple layers.  In my opinion, watching her find her Korean roots again, while falling for Kang To would’ve added a lot more to the drama.  

Shunji is working that all white suit.

Overall though, Gaksital is a fantastic drama.  It has great directing and a good script which keeps you begging for more.  The musical score also enhances these elements as the sad moments bring you to tears, and triumphs lift you to the heavens.  It was always beautifully shot with dynamic and breathtaking scenery not to mention the clothing.  I mean how dapper are these guys.

My emotions are still raw from the way the drama ended and I feel as though I need to sleep for a week to recover from the intensity and tension of it all, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  I give 4.5 out of 5 on the Bel scale.  It’s worth watching

According to Bel:  A must watch drama.