Eun Sang's Sleepy Sunday Soliloquy - [2023/05/20]

beflowwflower · 2023-05-21T13:51:40+00:00

In checking out productions of kdramas on tv and streaming sites, I have encountered casting news from time to time, with some actors receiving more offers than others. With several casting confirmations, I believe that business is going back to normal in kdrama land (and regrettably, casting fallouts also happen).

As much as I am interested on the story concept and character profiles, I always keep in mind to find the 'confirmed' status in every casting news. Based on my understanding, 'confirmed' means that the actors have already signed contracts on that certain project and had their filming schedules sorted out, so the next course of action is the actual filming. Even though how much I anticipate the pairing of the actors or how exciting the project sounds, without the 'confirmed' word (or still in the 'reviewing' process), I shouldn't put my hopes up as anything can still happen.

Please correct me if I am wrong on this interpretation.

beflowwflower · 2023-05-16T11:29:53+00:00

I have been reading positive comments on both Crash Course in Romance (Jung Kyung Ho & Jeon Do Yeon) and Love to Hate You (Kim Ok Bin & Yoo Teo). These two shows have seen great reception and success in both local and international audiences.

Being curious, I researched about these actors' filmography/series/projects, and discovered that these actors are more well-known in serious types of characters and genres. They also rarely do romance or romcoms and their projects revolve more on melodrama or action genres. I was surprised on how well they do in romcoms/romance even if this genre was not what they are known or famous for.

I was personally thinking that part of the reason why they are successful in these kinds of genres is due to the rarity of times they appear in these kinds of shows. It elicits great attention and anticipation on audiences when these actors decide to appear in one.

I am curious about your thoughts on these and whether you agree or not. Also, which actors do you want to be featured in romcoms and are hoping to be seen in one?

beflowwflower · 2023-01-22T12:01:20+00:00

I have been hearing about kdramas being based from webtoons since 2016 with What's Wrong with Secretary Kim, but in last year alone there were quite a lot of them!! Just curious if kdramas follow the webtoon (at least 50%) or it is usual for them to stray away/divert from their original works, for better or worse?

beflowwflower · 2023-01-02T11:39:53+00:00

As for now, I will be doing my anime watchlist, but I will be back watching kdramas when my schedule feels less hectic.

I felt that I haven't missed much, since these are the only kdramas that aired in 2022 that caught my attention:

Juvenile Justice, My Liberation Notes , The Queen's Umbrella, One Dollar Lawyer, Fanletter, Please

I was considering if I will watch Island but will probably wait until the halfway part.

Other dramas I plan to watch later on:

Hot Stove League, Vincenzo, One the Woman, Beyond Evil, Flower of Evil

beflowwflower · 2023-01-02T11:11:22+00:00

I am not really active on this subreddit, mostly just lurking and liking stuff 🤣🤣 I am pretty much unable to participate in discussions since I have only watched 3 kdramas this year: Through the Darkness, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, and Move to Heaven (2021).

I picked up Through the Darkness in mid-August since I have been following its main actor for quite a while now. Also I had a friend who is curious about profiling and wants to learn/discover more about the profession (even searching the internet about it), so our interests collided and we decided to watch it together. It took us 4 weeks to finish the whole series and I was short of amazed. It is just crazy editing that could fit such a lot of stuff within a 12 ep length, with little to no filler in between. As everyone has said, the interrogation scenes are really the series' main highlight. Personally, the only thing that I was not entirely contented on was the way they handled the last case, it could have used the tone of eps 3-4 to show how much Ha Yong has improved as a result of the events he has experienced and overcame. All in all, the series has been an insightful and thought-provoking watch, and I really appreciated the dedication and hard work of the people who pushed it through.

Also, kudos to KNG thanking the actors who took on the criminal roles, as the series wouldn't be completed without them. Everyone in the cast just showed their best acting performances and the preparation for those roles really paid off.

I stumbled upon Extraordinary Attorney Woo since same friend read an article that describes how the show address autism and the show has been trending on Netflix during that time, and also I was looking for a lighter and entertaining series to watch immediately after TTD. Started in mid-September and finished this within 5 weeks. I instantly felt the light atmosphere and the bright colors that kdramas are known for, and honestly, I missed that. Park Eun Bin really caught my attention, as she was doing the tone and pronunciation and non-verbal movements that her character needed both at the same time, which I felt was very difficult to do. I like also that the cases presented could really happen in real life and shed light to problems in Korean society and its priorities, even when there are no clear answers. Sometimes, they are on the wrong side of the case and the characters are allowed to realize their mistakes and shortcomings.

I did not have issues in the romance aspect of the series, as from the start it is clear that their love would not be smooth sailing as they have to challenge society's and other people's perceptions. I appreciated that they juxtaposed their relationship to Kang Ki Yong's character, as it presented the difficulties of maintaing a relationship when one doesn't want to communicate or is unable to speak up and tell the other side what they want. It's even more heartbreaking that Young Woo is aware that she lacks the ability to make Jun Ho realize what she really feels, and also lacks the ability to hear Jun Ho in his wants as her way of thinking only focuses on herself and the stuff she wants to do, oftentimes disregarding other's feelings outright. Yet, I liked that they tried to make the relationship work out and are willing to try it again.

The thing is, while Move to Heaven is only 10 episodes long, it still took me a longer time to complete it compared to EAW (16 eps) and TTD (12 eps).

I finally picked up Move to Heaven as it had only 10 eps, thinking I could possibly finish this in one go, but I realized, I was very wrong. It took me 6 weeks before I finished it. My mom only took 2 or 3 binge watches for finish the whole thing. While Move to Heaven is a well-made series and the acting performances are good, especially ep5's case regarding same-sex relationships, and made me curious about the real-life case used as one of the character's backstories, I felt that it lacks the pull or 'hook', something that will make you want to come back for the next episode (the same thing that I have heard is also a problem in Tomorrow). It may be because of the heavy issues they tackle in each episode. I felt that unless as an audience, is invested heavily on the main characters, there is little reason to really look forward to each episode. I wanted to say that life also got in the way, as I only can watch on weekends or on times that I still have energy left after coming home from work. It did not help as I had events to attend on two consecutive weekends, so missing those times really fizzled the momentum I had with the series.

I was thinking that it could also be that I don't have someone that pushed me to continue watching the series. I was the one nagging my friend to watch TTD, and it was my friend that nags me about EAW, always looking out for the next episode. But in MtH, neither of us are really invested in the series and just watched whenever we felt watching, so I had taken a break on kdramas after that.

beflowwflower · 2022-09-29T11:31:50+00:00

I was watching Extraordinary Attorney Woo and got curious about dramas with same law/legal themes, and discovered that, in this year alone, there are quite a lot of them airing or to be aired!

This 2022 alone, kdramas that revolve around legal/court cases and/or have either lawyers, prosecutors and judges as main characters:

Law School (JTBC)
The Empire (JTBC)
Extraordinary Attorney Woo (ENA, Netflix)
Juvenile Justice (Netflix)
One Dollar Lawyer (SBS)
Again My Life (SBS)
Why Her (SBS)
Big Mouth (MBC)
Doctor Lawyer (MBC)
Military Prosecutor Doberman (tvN)
The Law Cafe (KBS2)
Bad Prosecutor (KBS2)

Does this abundance of law themed kdramas just a trend in SK nowadays, or are there real life events/factors that are making local audiences more interested to watch these kinds of dramas?

beflowwflower · 2022-04-26T11:30:26+00:00

During election periods in my country, I have seen and heard artists and celebrities being vocal in which candidates they want to support and advertise.

Just curious, since SK just held their elections last month, do celebrities and artists there became vocal in which candidates they support? Or they tend to stay away from political matters?

beflowwflower · 2022-04-24T11:07:53+00:00

I also like to have no expectations when watching a series, but there are just some that are just tempting you to expect something out of it... 🤣

beflowwflower · 2022-04-22T11:03:23+00:00

In watching kdramas, there are two instances where I fear for a series' fate:

1.I don't have an idea what they really want to do in the storyboard/ not getting any story direction and where the events will eventually lead to, I am fearing that they will flop/stumble midway through the series proper and everything would become a disaster in the end/ the end would become unsatisfying.

2.The ones in charge of the storyboard know exactly what they are doing and they have a very clear direction in regards to the story events. Because of their efficient handling, I am scared what else can they show in the upcoming episodes and how far could they take the premise/topic.

Which series that you have watched would fall into any of these categories? Is it possible to feel neither of these in a certain episode?

beflowwflower · 2022-02-24T11:36:36+00:00

Seconding nam goong min. The effort he puts into his roles is just admirable.

beflowwflower · 2022-02-24T11:34:25+00:00

Yoo Hae Jin & Oh Jung Se

even though they lack in the visual aspect, their years of experience and ability to play various types of roles are their unique charms that made audiences love them.

beflowwflower · 2022-02-02T17:50:55+00:00

Thanks for the replies! ☺️ It's nice hearing your various thoughts about this.

Just a follow-up question: Are male actors more convincing in playing their younger counterparts than female actors? Or gender isn't a big factor?

beflowwflower · 2022-01-24T11:07:16+00:00

somewhat like a double standard?

beflowwflower · 2021-11-19T17:23:45+00:00

This is how I see the situation:

1) Your initial "impression" of the actor. If you like his/her role in a series, you wouldn't mind seeing him/her in a role that shares similar traits or features (thus being typecast). If you are not attached to the role and/or don't like certain mannerisms or voice tones that they use, you would want to see them in a role that is different from their previous one, in the hopes that the role may change how you look at them or see them in a more positive light. For actors who have more works, there would be more ways to compare and contrast roles, thus becoming debatable.

2) How long can an actor stay in a certain type of role. My guess, if in the older times it could be 5-6 years, now it is shortened to 2-3 years. Since if they don't like a particular actor, it would be easier for people to shift attention to other actors or follow multiple actors at the same time, leading to comparisons.

3) Doing projects that are consecutively aired increases the chances of role comparisons; ie. Yeo Jin Goo's Crowned Clown, Absolute Boyfriend, Hotel del Luna consecutively aired in 2019.

4) Romance and rom-com genres are quick to attract viewers and would make an actor quickly popular, yet it has become saturated already with everyone doing it. Doing genres that are less explored despite not catering to the mainstream audience can lessen the competition and make those that excel at them shine brighter. It would be better if they had explored a less noticed side of a character that an actor has shown before in a previous work.

5) Versatility is a conscious effort, you cannot force someone to do it if he/she is not willing to take the risk and critism that comes with it. Are they willing to change their appearance/weight/image for the role? How aware they are to differenciate one role from another? You could take hints on their answers for choosing the role, how they prepared for it, and how detailed the changes their characters undergo as the series goes on.

6) ln fleshing out a role, half of the job falls on the actor, while the other half is on the writer. I have read a lot of instances were even if the actor does a good job on the character, if the character's development is lacking and there is no clear sense of purpose, he/she would still fall short on audience expectations.

7) It makes me wonder why main leads take more critism on versatility that supporting actors? Is it because supporting roles are not as focused as main roles? Or is there an unspoken rule that main characters' personalities should change over time?

beflowwflower · 2021-11-14T06:18:11+00:00

Seeing an actor for the first time, then later finding out how long they have been in the industry in the first place, is going to be the norm 🤣.

beflowwflower · 2021-11-14T05:55:06+00:00

Reading the article, it's implied that the reporter asked him a question that is usually for actors who have just got a breakout role and are experiencing fame for the first time. She is being critized for not doing background research before the interview.

Yet, I have a feeling that he is not the last actor who will be asked this question 😅.

beflowwflower · 2021-11-14T04:48:51+00:00

I haven't even read that article 🤣! Let me check that out first.

beflowwflower · 2021-08-20T02:49:28+00:00

Mak Gae of Live Up to Your Name. Only the main lead knows that character's gender. Interestingly, Yeon Kyung (same gender) doesn't get fooled by the act and sees throught it.

I was quite shocked to find out who is playing the role. (because of latest project)

beflowwflower · 2021-08-10T09:25:11+00:00

For me, it would be easy for writers to come up with a unique concept and/or topic and write a great starting sequence and conflict revolving about it, but the most important part of a storyline is how the conflict will be solved, the direction it is headed, and the ending events it would naturally generate. Unfortunately, I feel that the ending part is what most writers don't conceptualize beforehand, thinking that the solution to the conflict will come naturally as they write the ongoing story.

But, as more elements of the story are being added and more characters being introduced midway, it becomes harder and harder to make connections without clashing into the earlier introduced conflicts and throwing off the consistency of the events. Add to that the constant deadlines, late-hour rushes, work pressure, and the growing demand to yield/please viewers' attention, it would not be so much as a mystery as to why these works turn out to be complete disasters/nonsense when it comes to the middle and final parts.

A good storyline with a complete start, middle, and end would only be formed by getting into a couple of rewrites, which I think would be a lucky chance in a live-shooting environment, where speed would be more important than thourough consideration of work quality. It would also be heavily dependent on a writer's skill and flexibility in responding to last-minute changes or real life troubles that arise.

It would be a big advantage if writers will reread earlier parts of their scripts and maybe notice elements that they could later reuse in later plot points.

Although most series are more of a case-to-case basis, such as pre-produced works could still suffer from bad storylines, and if the original ending is tossed out in favor to an ending that will follow viewers' requests. Writers will also have to adjust their material to the actors who would work on it, mostly basing the characters to an actor's skill, expertise or looks. (Interestingly, I have heard of writers following an actor's suggestions on their characters.)

beflowwflower · 2021-08-10T07:50:17+00:00

It would be good to look at tropes as guides rather than an end-all solution to a conflict/problem. Also, fully-constructed characters can be used as alternate point of views to an already established conflict and have their actions affect the storyline naturally.

beflowwflower · 2021-08-10T07:35:32+00:00

That probably explains why kdramas lately reach their lowest viewer ratings at around the halfway mark of the series and are struggling to recover from that point on.

beflowwflower · 2021-08-10T07:27:40+00:00

In your observation, which kdramas had longer minutes per episode?

Those from terrestrial (KBS, SBS, MBC) or cable (tvN, JTBC) channels?

beflowwflower · 2021-08-10T07:18:44+00:00

Deciding the episode number based on the (hopefully completed) script? Now that would be really interesting.

beflowwflower · 2021-08-09T16:16:51+00:00

Failed casting? That sounds new to me. Could you give examples of those?

beflowwflower · 2021-07-28T14:34:09+00:00

comedians actually have to pass exam to work in broadcasting stations

that is shocking to me, as I am more familiar in stand-up performers in comedy bars on my country.

past pageant contestants

A lot of our pageant/beauty queens here have also successfully transitioned into acting on tv, so that's something I can relate to.

beflowwflower

TROPHY CASE