HomeKing and I
King and I
왕과 나(Wang-gwa Na)
director
 Kim Jae-hyeong(김재형) |
| Son Jae-sung(손재성) |
cast
'Bad Love' has good Christmas
After a slew of historical dramas, the latest KBS tear jerker "Bad Love" promised viewers a break from old school epics with its all-star cast and classic love story. But audiences weren't interested. That is, until now. With the competition heating up, the New Year may just bring "Bad Love" a bit of good luck. "Bad Love," which first aired on Dec. 3, failed to draw interest with viewer ratings reaching a low 6.1 percent following its first episode, according to AGB Nielsen Media Research. The star power of high profile celebs, Lee Yo-won, 27, and Kwon Sang-woo, 31, proved no match for rivals, MBC's "Isan" and SBS's "The King and I" a.k.a. "Eunuch." After a long hiatus from the world of TV dramas, Hallyu star Kwon Sang-woo tried to win fans over with his rippling pecs and picture-perfect abs in the first few episodes. But to no avail. "I think Kwon Sang-woo is doing it as a service to his fans," said viewer Lee Young-hyun, 51. "He is trying to reach out to them." Lee went on to state that not only was Kwon Sang-woo miscast, but that Lee Yo-won's previous role in SBS's "Doctor Bong" left such a strong impression on him that he had trouble buying into her new character, Na In-jung. Other viewers seemed to be equally turned off by "Bad Love." According to TNS Media Korea, the drama's seventh episode recorded viewer ratings of 6.3 percent, a mere 0.2 percent improvement from its first episode. But this KBS drama might still just manage to beat out its competition, or at least give them a run for their money. Its latest and eighth episode, which aired Christmas Day, posted record a viewer share of 9.2 percent, up 2.9 percent from the previous episode. After the latest installment, one viewer wrote on the drama's bulletin board: "On Tuesday, I was switching back and forth between "Isan" and "Bad Love" and in the end I picked "Bad Love," even though I am a huge fan of historical dramas." Another viewer said, "Most dramas get predictable right about now, but this drama's unpredictability makes it attractive." Indeed, what started off as a classic love triangle is quickly developing into a melodrama of epic proportions, as heroine Na In-jung's father suddenly passes away and hero Yong-gi, played by heartthrob Kwon, falls victim to a car accident in the final moments of the latest installment. For those who haven't been tuning in, In-jung, struggling to recover from a torrid affair with a married man, pretty much sums up the plot when she answers Yong-gi's question, "What do you think love is?" "Love!? It's bad ... it's wicked ... it's so twisted and evil, that it's sad ..." In-jung replies. And Lee Yo-won's character means every word she says. After being attacked and tortured by the jealous wife of her lover, In-jung gets spurned by her lover, miscarries her lovechild, loses her mother and must look after her invalid father while eking out a living as the owner of a small fried chicken restaurant in a remote island village. Kwon's character, Yong-gi, recently scarred by his girlfriend's sudden suicide, falls in love with In-jung, only to discover that his brother-in-law is In-jung's ex-lover. In-jung, overwhelmed by all this, runs away. And if that wasn't bad enough, in the last episode, In-jung's father suddenly passes away and Yong-gi, determined to stand by In-jung, is hit by a car while chasing after her. With a plot like that "Bad Love" certainly lives up to its reputation as a melodrama. And even if this tear jerker doesn't win the ratings race, it sure wins hands down for being one of the most tragic stories to hit television screens this winter. But to find out what happens to Yong-gi, viewers will have to wait until New Year's Day, when episode 9 airs. "Bad Love" plays on Mondays and Tuesdays at 9:55 p.m. on KBS 2 TV. By Jean Oh
Miscasting Controversy
Giha (Mun So-ri) carried the fainted Damdeok (Bae Yong-jun) to a refuge camp to save him from his enemy. Giha affectionately looks at the sleeping Damdeok. She leaves at dawn, leaving a letter behind…. After waking up, Damdeok reads the letter and his heart is broken. This is the scene from an episode of “The Legend of a Grand King and Four Immortals,” a historical drama airing on MBC every Wednesday and Thursday. The scene depicts an ardent love between female and male protagonists. After the episode, however, a hot controversy has raged. The controversy is revolving around whether the cast was the right one. Urban Mun So-ri Doesn’t Fit the Image of Pitiful Giha- With historical sagas dominating the television screens, the audience is increasingly interested in the cast. While watching dramas, they particularly care about the part of the actors and actresses, saying, “She doesn’t go well with him,” and “The drama was miscast.” At the center of the controversy lies Mun So-ri (33) who plays the part of Giha. Giha is a reincarnation of Gajin, a goddess of fire. She leads her life as a lady-in-waiting at a court temple of Goguryeo after losing her memory when she was young. She agonizes between Goguryeo’s Crown Prince Damdeok and Hwacheonhui, a group that attempts to overthrow Goguryeo. A majority of the audience points out that Mun’s urban image and strong character don’t match well with mysterious Giha, who is destined to live miserably. “Mun looks like Bae’s aunt. That prevented me from concentrating on the story,” Cho Seong-il, one of the viewers said. Another viewer Kang Min-gyeong agreed with him, saying, “I don’t believe all female characters should be pretty, but Giha is not for Mun So-ri.” Some viewers, on the other hand, refuted those complaints, saying, “What matters is performance not appearances.” Over 1,500 opinions were posted on the web bulletin board of the drama, manifesting the intensity of the controversy. The same goes for “The King and I,” a SBS historical drama. It led the historical saga boom, recording 20 percent viewership during the initial phase of the airing, but its popularity nosedived to 10 percent after airing 8 episodes. Some say the declining viewership is because the actors and an actress playing the parts of Cheoseon, King Seongjong, and Sohwa are out of character. They appeared in the drama from the eighth episode. In contrast, Lee Seo-jin who plays the role of King Jeongjo in MBC’s show “Lee San” airing at the same time as the SBS drama is being well received although he also faced criticism due to his awkward performance. Extraordinary Interest in the Cast- People take issue with the cast in historical dramas more often than in other genres. Those dramas entangled in the cast controversy are “Taejo Wang Geon,” “Haeshin,” “Indestructible Lee Sun-shin,” “Jang Hui-bin,” and “Jumong.” Culture critics give explanations for the reason why the cast of historical dramas catches the attention of the audience: the audience tends to compare the images of historic figures to those of actors and actresses, and the nature of historical sagas prevents actors and actress from showing their distinct personalities. “In the case of modern dramas, the same scenario gives rise to quite different dramas depending on the personalities of the actors. However, this is not the case for historical dramas because of the typical characters of kings and generals,” said culture critic Lee Yeong-mi. That is why Mun So-ri, who has been praised for her strong and unique personality in movie screens, languishes in TV dramas. Some point out that the nature of TV dramas stir up the controversy of “miscasting.” While leading parts in movies are taken by actors with personalities that fit various genres, TV dramas whose main theme is love are dominated by good-looking actors and actresses. That has conditioned the audience to stick to appearances of actors and actresses. The staff of dramas complains about the audience’s judgment which is overly tied to visual factors. In fact, some viewers blame an actor’s hairstyle rather than his performance. Park Chang-shik, production director of Kim Jong-hak Production, said, “We take into account the actors’ potential, experience, and their perseverance, along with their appearances, because acting in historical dramas is nothing short of hard labor which needs a concerted effort.”
Eunuchs make me long to get my hands on father’s remote
When I lived under the same roof as my parents exclusive command of the remote control was enough to make me feel like the queen of the world. With all due respect and love for my folks, our preference for TV channels did not always match. The preference discrepancy hit its peak on weekends around 10 p.m. That was the time slot for KBS-TV’s historical dramas, such as the mega hit, “Tears of the Dragon,” based on the power struggles that accompanied the establishment of the Joseon Dynasty. Watching them was my father’s favorite weekend occupation, and I can still remember him sitting in front of the TV with a beer. It was a conventional kind of history drama that tried to remain true to actual events. A narrator or subtitles would appear often to explain the historical background. To a mere teenager, the dramas seemed like another history class, and I would have preferred to change the channel and watch a more superficial weekend show. Years have passed and I now possess my own remote control and a taste for historical dramas such as “The King and I,” which recently began airing on SBS-TV on Mondays and Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ― of course the show has nothing to do with Oscar Hammerstein’s 1956 musical. Kim Jae-hyung, who also directed Tears, is in charge of this latest history drama about Joseon Dynasty eunuchs, which proves what my father must have known ― history is indeed a rich source of bloody power games and forbidden love within the walls of royal palaces. Stories of eunuchs are a sure-fire treasure trove for history drama directors and they are more interesting because they have been assigned to supporting roles within strict stereotypes. However, Kim took an experimental approach in The King and I and brought the eunuchs to the fore. Eunuchs in this drama even undergo taxing physical tests as part of their job interview. Kim declared that he would “stay away from established history dramas” with this work that tells the story of Cheseon, who became a eunuch to protect the love of his life who was forced to become the concubine of King Seongjong. This radical approach may explain why the director has eunuchs from different eras together at the same time. Jo Chi-gyeom, a eunuch who amassed considerable power, even masterminds the fatal poisoning of the king. Director Kim has been criticized for tampering with history, but he does not seem to mind adding his own spices with the facts as the main ingredient. Maybe he should post a warning saying “This drama takes a fictional approach” to avoid confusing some viewers. Historical dramas with a twist and some imagination are currently in vogue. From this week, except on Fridays, viewers will get to see one each night on KBS-TV, MBC-TV and SBS-TV. The lineup also includes a drama by Lee Byung-hoon, a longtime rival of director Kim. The battle of the history dramas this fall could be intriguing. Meanwhile, the weekend 10 p.m. slot on KBS-TV remains dedicated to a serious history drama that is faithfully based on facts. My mother tells me that my father’s weekend ritual has not changed and he is still a big fan of “Daejoyeong,” which is considered to be a faithful description of the Balhae Kingdom. Chuseok (Thanksgiving) is coming and I should get ready to have no command over the remote control. Who knows, maybe I will find the serious history drama entertaining. Like father, like daughter. Suddenly I can’t wait for the holiday.
TV Falls in Love with Epic Dramas
Lee Seo-jin, left and Han Ji-min star in “Yi San,” which traces the love between King Jeongjo (1752-1800) and his childhood friend-turned-concubine. /Courtesy of MBC Historical accounts are usually associated with heavyweight textbooks and a big yawn. But fresh interpretations by hot young actors are sending viewers on a delightful blast to the past through television. Monarchs are far from middle-aged, bald and pot-bellied _ young, sexy and love struck kings and court ladies dazzle in period pieces like ``Yi San,'' ``King and I'' and ``The Tudors,'' all sizzling with melodramatic court scandals and clandestine romances. King in Love: ``Yi San'' ``Yi San'' recounts the high-flying life and times of Yi San or King Jeongjo (1752-1800), the 22nd king of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). Lee Byung-hoon, director of international hit ``Jewel in the Palace,'' and Lee Seo-jin, the hero of the phenomenally popular ``Damo'' and ``Phoenix'' have joined their star power in this SBS TV series. The cast and crew garnered much public attention even before it started airing Monday. Korean heartthrob Lee plays the role of the fair and charismatic ruler, who is remembered for reforming the state examination and reviving the Office Land Law (1466), which helped diminish the abusive power of court officials. But the biggest reason to love this good-looking king is his unwavering affection for one woman. The drama develops upon the romance between Jeongjo and his childhood friend-turned concubine Seong, played by the rising starlet Han Ji-min. In addition to the court romance, the drama showcases the grandeur of late 18th century Korean architecture and the lavish culture of royal Joseon. ``Yi San'' will also keep you on the edge of your seat as it recounts the series of assassinations that plagued the royal household. The drama is also expected to realistically depict the changing economic policy of the ``hermit kingdom'' at the turn of the century. Airs 9:55 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays on SBS. The SBS drama “King and I” tells the star-crossed love between a eunuch and a royal concubine during the time of King Seongjong of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). /Courtesy of SBS "King and I”: Korean Eunuch Story How far does one go for love? One man has cast off his manhood for the woman he loves. SBS offers a unique story about a eunuch who would do anything for love. Once childhood friends, Cheoseon, So-hwa and Jaeulsangun reunite in the palace as a eunuch, concubine and king Seongjong (1469-1494). and a shaky love triangle forms. Seong-jong is remembered as an intellectual who loved the arts and literature, as well as a hedonist who loved women, parties and hunting. Unable to have So-hwa as his queen for political reasons, he takes in the love of his life as his favorite concubine. But alas, her heart is not his to take, for it belongs to Cheo-seon who has gladly undergone castration to remain close to the woman he loves. Jealousy grasps a hold of the king, who sentences the woman he could never possess to death, and Cheo-seon, bound by court rules, is doomed to carry out the deed. Young actors smoke and sizzle onscreen, with theater star Oh Man-seok in the role of the selfsacrificing eunuch and rising actors Ku Hye-seon as the beautiful So-hwa and Go Ju-won as the green-eyed king. Airs 9:55 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays on SBS. Henry VIII (1491-1547), the second monarch of England’s House of Tudor, is notorious for marrying six times and beheading several of his wives. But it will become impossible to detest this infamous man when you see him personified by Hollywood favorite Jonathan Rhys Meyers(“Velvet Goldmine,” 1998). “The Tudors,” now playing on cable, traces one of the most scandalous love stories in history between Henry VIII and “Anne of the Thousand Days” (1969). By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter
