I mean love of the celluloid kind.
Read that the director or producer or writer or whatever of Sam Soon was here, checking out possible shoot locations. That seemed like a what’s-the-big-deal non-news kind of news item. After all, K drama has featured Indonesia, Thailand, China, Japan, and even places like Prague and Paris. Ah, but it could be a learning opportunity our local industry.
I’m not sure how well Mediacorp’s attempt at romantic comedy, the Cowherd-Weaving Maiden show, did in its ratings. I watched a bit of it to see what it was about. I think the idea of the Cowherd being a milk salesperson and the Weaving Maiden a fashion person is cute. For Mediacorp’s sake, I hope that is an original idea. Bolstered by a couple of reliable veterans and the guy playing that effeminate, muscular character, the show has a lot of potential. However, I still had the feeling that it was rather ‘raw’. Nevertheless, it’s a definite step up – or maybe many steps up – from that (yawn) shipyard show that was previously showing at the same time slot.
I think local Chinese TV does historical (i.e. Singaporean historical, not those martial arts/Chinese historical types) well but in other genres, sorry lah, the competition is just too tough. For example, I’ve yet to watch a gripping local police/detective/crime show but I’ve watched gripping TVB (and Japanese) ones. Ditto martial arts and Chinese historical. As for romantic comedy, the winner has to be K drama. Just my biased opinion.
It’s amazing how the Koreans come up with so many different spins to the foursome approach (A loves B who loves C who loves D who loves A), and throw in comedy at the same time. Although this ABCD-cum-poor-girl-rich-guy formula is losing its shine a little for me, I still have to take my hat off to the creators of those shows.
So, I finished watching My Girl, which I enjoyed, though many times, I found the lead couple too much like copies of the leads in Sam Soon.
My Girl
The guys
Since it is practically a given that the girls in K drama are cute and pretty, the
guys make a big difference and I was impressed by Guy on the Left's acting. His character (GC) is basically just a rather boring and serious guy at first but becomes funnier and more emotional as the story develops. I thought his best scene was when he is frantically searching for the girl (YR) at the airport and realises that she is gone.
As for Guy on the Right (JW), he is kind of wasted in the show because the script doesn’t require him to do much more than play squash, hide around corners and cry. I couldn’t even see why he liked the girl so much. And why did they have to make him cry incessantly??!
The friends
I notice the
main characters in K drama are invariably propped up by a bunch of friends, or at least one friend. Most of the time, I find them really annoying but I liked the brother and sister pair here. But the best friend of all was JW, who stood steadfastly behind both main characters.
Romantic moments
These are, of course, must-haves, and there are many in this show. My favourite romance element was the snow thing. Somehow, snow can work rather well for us equatorial people in portraying romance. It was so sweet how GC was affected by snowy days because YR was born on a snowy day, and how he buys a snow globe each time it snows when she is away. Awww…
Fu
nny scenes
There were some slapstick scenes but overall, the funny scenes were funny. My favourites:
1. When the 3 nuns come out of the church while GC is holding a drunk YR who just fell off a ladder (now, that ladder part was completely unrealistic!).
2. All the scenes with the 2 aunts together.
3. Whenever GC is so lousy at lying to his granddad.
Wedding
After all the energy, emotion and laughter of My Girl, I find Wedding too placid and lovey-dovey but maybe I’ll just stick with it to its end. I think the theme is intriguing – how a ‘match-made’ couple learns to live together and grows in love. I’ve always wondered how such couples work things out in communities where ‘love’ marriages are not always the norm. It must be tough.
However, the male lead is spoiling the show for me. Early on in the show, he says that he is ‘square’ and ‘boring’, and he sure has lived up to that. He has more or less the same expression on his face whether he is happy, upset, working or getting married. Such a stark contrast to the cute and expressive Jang Nara. I like her father, too (in pic). He’s funny.
It’s just that the show is now at its ‘down’ segment, the inevitable section in a K drama serial when everything goes incredibly badly for the leads.
Good and Evil
Not to forget good ol' TVB, I’m also watching, on and off, Good and Evil, which is police story-romance-comedy set in old Hong Kong (1970s, I think. Or maybe it’s 1960s). Great combination of ideas.
If only we can learn from the pros and produce better shows one day.
My Girl pics
Wedding pics
Read that the director or producer or writer or whatever of Sam Soon was here, checking out possible shoot locations. That seemed like a what’s-the-big-deal non-news kind of news item. After all, K drama has featured Indonesia, Thailand, China, Japan, and even places like Prague and Paris. Ah, but it could be a learning opportunity our local industry.
I’m not sure how well Mediacorp’s attempt at romantic comedy, the Cowherd-Weaving Maiden show, did in its ratings. I watched a bit of it to see what it was about. I think the idea of the Cowherd being a milk salesperson and the Weaving Maiden a fashion person is cute. For Mediacorp’s sake, I hope that is an original idea. Bolstered by a couple of reliable veterans and the guy playing that effeminate, muscular character, the show has a lot of potential. However, I still had the feeling that it was rather ‘raw’. Nevertheless, it’s a definite step up – or maybe many steps up – from that (yawn) shipyard show that was previously showing at the same time slot.
I think local Chinese TV does historical (i.e. Singaporean historical, not those martial arts/Chinese historical types) well but in other genres, sorry lah, the competition is just too tough. For example, I’ve yet to watch a gripping local police/detective/crime show but I’ve watched gripping TVB (and Japanese) ones. Ditto martial arts and Chinese historical. As for romantic comedy, the winner has to be K drama. Just my biased opinion.
It’s amazing how the Koreans come up with so many different spins to the foursome approach (A loves B who loves C who loves D who loves A), and throw in comedy at the same time. Although this ABCD-cum-poor-girl-rich-guy formula is losing its shine a little for me, I still have to take my hat off to the creators of those shows.
So, I finished watching My Girl, which I enjoyed, though many times, I found the lead couple too much like copies of the leads in Sam Soon.
My Girl
The guys
Since it is practically a given that the girls in K drama are cute and pretty, the
guys make a big difference and I was impressed by Guy on the Left's acting. His character (GC) is basically just a rather boring and serious guy at first but becomes funnier and more emotional as the story develops. I thought his best scene was when he is frantically searching for the girl (YR) at the airport and realises that she is gone.
As for Guy on the Right (JW), he is kind of wasted in the show because the script doesn’t require him to do much more than play squash, hide around corners and cry. I couldn’t even see why he liked the girl so much. And why did they have to make him cry incessantly??!
The friends
I notice the
main characters in K drama are invariably propped up by a bunch of friends, or at least one friend. Most of the time, I find them really annoying but I liked the brother and sister pair here. But the best friend of all was JW, who stood steadfastly behind both main characters.Romantic moments
These are, of course, must-haves, and there are many in this show. My favourite romance element was the snow thing. Somehow, snow can work rather well for us equatorial people in portraying romance. It was so sweet how GC was affected by snowy days because YR was born on a snowy day, and how he buys a snow globe each time it snows when she is away. Awww…Fu
nny scenesThere were some slapstick scenes but overall, the funny scenes were funny. My favourites:
1. When the 3 nuns come out of the church while GC is holding a drunk YR who just fell off a ladder (now, that ladder part was completely unrealistic!).
2. All the scenes with the 2 aunts together.
3. Whenever GC is so lousy at lying to his granddad.
Wedding
After all the energy, emotion and laughter of My Girl, I find Wedding too placid and lovey-dovey but maybe I’ll just stick with it to its end. I think the theme is intriguing – how a ‘match-made’ couple learns to live together and grows in love. I’ve always wondered how such couples work things out in communities where ‘love’ marriages are not always the norm. It must be tough.
However, the male lead is spoiling the show for me. Early on in the show, he says that he is ‘square’ and ‘boring’, and he sure has lived up to that. He has more or less the same expression on his face whether he is happy, upset, working or getting married. Such a stark contrast to the cute and expressive Jang Nara. I like her father, too (in pic). He’s funny.
It’s just that the show is now at its ‘down’ segment, the inevitable section in a K drama serial when everything goes incredibly badly for the leads.
Good and Evil
Not to forget good ol' TVB, I’m also watching, on and off, Good and Evil, which is police story-romance-comedy set in old Hong Kong (1970s, I think. Or maybe it’s 1960s). Great combination of ideas.
If only we can learn from the pros and produce better shows one day.
My Girl pics
Wedding pics
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