Serena09:
Serena:
Oh sorry it's Japanese (ｏ＿ ＿)ｏ
The My Mister I love so much is Korean, not Japanese... is there a Japanese show by that name, too?
Shoshana:
Why do you like it? It’s in my to watch list, but I have not started on it
It is quite honestly the hardest show to pinpoint the reason for loving... it is, though, the most human of all dramatic storytelling I've seen from anywhere in Asia. The characters seem like nothing special, it seems like it'll be completely boring, the colors, even, are rather drab, but there is a kind of magic in showing human beings that are so like the everyday people in everyday neighborhoods, nondescript places and people few if any ever notice... it's about those people and you see what connects them, what infuriates, what breaks hearts, what moves/touches them, how they persevere, how they hold each other up, keep it together by simply existing -together...-
Incredibly hard to explain. I didn't even, apart from Park Ho San and Go Du Sim ans to a lesser degree Kim Young Min, particularly LIKE anyone to in much, not to extraordinary degrees or 'seek what they create' levels-I even tended to be annoyed with roles of the ML when he was trying to pull off any sort of arrogant, let alone sexy, role because gosh he really is just like every Joe Schmoe in Koreatown here and it was just weird to see the childhood friends of mine who happen to be Korean... well, to see their dads depicted as hot/sexy, lol-I was more able to see MY OWN dad as hot because at least I could liken him to similar looking celebrities from black and white film days who were by all standards handsome fellas.
THAT SAID, the director had created Misaeng and SIGNAL-similarly everyday seeming people overall in one and a similarly dark and brown-heavy color palette in the other-just before it, and the only show I'd seen by the writer, Another Oh Hae Young/Another Miss Oh, had a load of attention to detail and FANTASTIC non-lead characters that almost stole the show they were so great... and proved a sense of humor was there in the little moments and I knew she could nail the characters and the director could nail the setup... so I dove in purely off that, and I was amazed, plain amazed. It proved a HUGE turning point for Jang Ki Yong, incidentally. He was finally given a role that was more than 'handsome young guy in supporting character role' and wow. I was conflicted by and for him and even though I'd literally seen all but a couple of really small roles of his, this is what really truly made his skill shine. Oh Na Ra-who then became the "sweet mom Jin Jin" in Sky Castle no doubt thanks in part to this, also became so much more than just the pretty wife of this or that person-she made me smile and also made me positively ACHE. IU's character is of course the centerpiece and will make you feel everything-anger at her, anger for her, pity, rooting for her, relief, gratitude on others' behalf, gratitude on her behalf, conflicted emotions about HER emotions, even... so many levels.
Anyway, sorry to ramble, but yeah, it's a masterpiece. My big tip if you're venturing into kdramas but they aren't your core focus/you really just want the best of the best: go through the BaekSang Awards for the last 7-10 years and in particular look at the nominees (and winner of course) for the grand prize, the best drama, and best screenwriter and usually best director... they'll all be the cream of the crop, and I say that as someone with zero faith in the Oscars (ie they are wildly inconsistent in what they look at for criteria for excellence year to year)... Baeksang really do steadily choose stuff that can pass muster in literary circles for the writing, theatrical legends for the acting, and of course the direction has to be there or the script and carrying out of it by actors will be lessened... just my standard advice. Asianwiki has 2009-2019 nominees and winners here:
http://asianwiki.com/BaekSang_Arts_Awards
(Best drama nominees this year=
- KBS2 “When the Camellia Blooms"
- tvN “Crash Landing on You"
- SBS “Stove League” =strangely as a non-sports person it's my personal pick
- Netflix “Kingdom” Season 2
- SBS “Hyena” =also just phenomenal in ways I didn't expect
Ah, it was adapted from a Japanese original, but Mother w/Lee Bo Young is also a freaking masterpiece of a drama.
As Chinese stuff goes, a film is what gets my top mention: Better Days. Ah, and there's a Taiwanese drama that the writing in particular just proved really innovative and excellent (the cinematography and sound editing is lackluster but you'll forget about it once you are about halfway through the 2nd episode-the first admittedly was just confusing bc I'm used to the big budgets of kdramas and Japanese films): Someday or One Day.
