Korean Weekly News - January 17

He thinks he's a woman; a beautiful, sophisticated woman like his idol Madonna. But for now he's just a chubby little high school student. His dream in life is finding enough money for a sex change operation, but it's not that easy. Suddenly, a chance knocks at the door... a Ssirum (Korean traditional wrestling) competition! All he has to do now is win the contest, bring home the money, and it will just be a matter of time before we can start calling him a 'her'. Recipient of one of the weirdest outlines of recent memory, Sidus FNH's upcoming 천하장사 마돈나 (Madonna, The Strongest Man on Earth) has finally cast its lead. Ryu Deok-Hwan, who played the youngest North Korean soldier in 웰컴 투 동막골 (Welcome To Dongmakgol), will play the role of Oh Dong-Goo, the 170cm/90Kg 'Superpig' of the title. We've heard of great weight losses and gains before in Chungmuro, but Ryu is taking this to the extreme, as he will gain 30 Kg for the role (he already gained 20), and of course receive Ssirum training. The 2.5 Billion Won film will be directed by Lee Hae-Young and Lee Hae-Joon, who were in the script teams for films like 품행제로 (Conduct Zero), 아라한 장풍대작전 (Arahan) and 남극일기 (Antarctic Journal).

After 2003's 꽃피는 봄이 오면 (Springtime), I thought Jang Shin-Young showed potential, but her choices in the last few years haven't been what I'd call good. After starring in the hilariously bad MBC TV Drama 환생 (Next), and the 'train (wreck?) horror' 레드아이 (Red Eye), her next project will be a melodrama titled 플라워 (Flower), directed by Jang Sung-Soo who was assistant director in the 1996 comedy 박봉곤 가출사건 (The Adventures of Mrs. Park). Jang plays a fragile, young flower shop owner (awww...), who suddenly one day finds out her boyfriend died (awww...). What does she do? Kill herself? Glue herself to the street waiting for the killer minivan? Become a monk? No, she simply reminisces about the good times spent with him. That's so... original. Jang still hasn't signed any contract, but it's expected negotiations will complete in the next few days, and the film will start shooting soon. I can't wait...

Brought to fame by a musical and extremely successful TV Drama, 명성황후 (The Last Empress) will finally make its way to theaters. The 2001 TV Drama was written by the great Jeong Ha-Yeon of 신돈 (Shin Don), and produced by Yoon Chang-Beom of 서울 1945 (Seoul 1945), two Dramas airing at the moment. It starred Lee Mi-Yeon as Queen Min (Empress Myungseong), one of the most beloved figures in Korean History, killed by assassins sent by Japanese Minister Miura Goro in 1895. The film will not only focus on Queen Min, but also on the warrior who secretly loved her, Mumyeong. The script for the film, which will be entitled 불꽃처럼 나비처럼 (Like Fireworks and Butterflies), is currently being written, and Kim Yong-Gyun of 와니와 준하 (Wanee & Junha) and 분홍신 (The Red Shoes) will direct. The film will start shooting this Summer.

Korean producers seem to like 'Flowers for Algernon'. Not only the story has been adapted for the recent KBS2 Drama 안녕하세요 하느님 (Hello God) -- which despite bad ratings had a very solid start. It's quite an interesting Drama, but the lack of stars is clearly hurting it -- but plans are on the way to make it a Musical, and even a film! Papa Production will debut with the Musical 미스터 마우스 (Mr. Mouse), an adaptation of Daniel Keyes' classic 1959 SF novel, from January 21 running it until April, starring Seo Beom-Seok and Kim Tae-Han. Also, Cineline, which produced last year's superhit 말아톤 (Marathon), is currently researching for an upcoming film adaptation of the novel. 'Flowers for Algernon' tells the story of Charlie, who sees his IQ of 68 rapidly improve until he becomes a genius, after volunteering for a brain operation. But then he starts experiencing the consequences all those changes have on his previous life. Given to a capable director, this could turn into quite the gem.

Master Choi Wan-Gyu should be familiar to anyone acquainted with Korean TV Dramas. Works like 그들의 포옹 (Their Embrace), 허준 (Hur Joon) and 상도 (Sang Do) are only a few of the masterpieces he's written over the years -- he also wrote some stinkers though, like 러브스토리 인 하버드 (Lovestory in Harvard) -- and the new Drama he's cooking sounds pretty interesting. No, I'm not talking about the Historical Drama 삼한지 (The Three Kingdoms), but a different one called 에어시티 (Air City), the first to use the Incheon International Airport as its background. The interesting thing is that he wrote the Drama along with 6 other famous writers, and 60 Episodes are already in the can. The first of three seasons will start broadcasting this year, with 20 Episodes. Stars haven't been announced yet, but considering the scale of the project, it should be big names. Choi also announced all the new projects from his 'family' of writers.

They include Historical Dramas set in the Goguryeo era -- the new trend in Korean TV Dramas. Seems like Joseon is already passe. Or maybe after hundreds of Dramas dealing with that they got tired -- 대무신왕 (Daemu Shin Wang) and 고선지 (General Go Seon-Ji), a sequel of Choi's great 1994 MBC Drama 종합병원 (General Hospital), a remake of a popular TV Series from Argentina called 해결사들 (The Pretenders), a Chinese remake of the 1997 MBC Drama 신데렐라 (Cinderella), and another Choi Wan-Gyu Action Noir Drama called 히든 (Hidden), about the life of 在日 (zainichi), Korean residents in Japan. So who's part of the writing teams for those Dramas? The list is impressive: Choi Wan-Gyu, Jung Sung-Joo of the great Family Drama 장미와 콩나물 (Roses & Beansprouts), Lee Seon-Hee of 거침없는 사랑 (Love Without Obstacles), Jung Hyung-Soo of 다모 (Damo), Jung Jin-Ok of 해신 (Emperor of the Sea), Kim Young-Hyeon of 대장금 (Dae Jang Geum), and finally Lee Sung-Eun of 슬픈연가 (Sad Sonata) -- you knew someone would have to play the black sheep. More on these in the coming few months.

Historical Dramas will continue to dominate the screens in 2006 it seems, as another one in the making has been announced. We talked about Jang Yoon-Hyun's upcoming film 황진이 (Hwang Jin-Yi), about the life of Korea's most famous concubine, but now MBC plans to make a 'Fusion Historical Drama' (like 'Damo', so to speak) about the matter. The Drama, which will be broadcast in October, is produced by Olive Nine of 프라하의 연인 (Lovers in Prague), written by Yoon Seon-Joo of last year's 불멸의 이순신 (The Immortal Lee Soon-Shin), and will tell its story in 24 Episodes -- these fusion Dramas are usually shorter than the usual Historical Drama format, which is usually between 50 and 200 Episodes. Now the interesting thing is who will be cast as Hwang, a role which could create the same wind of popularity of Dramas like 대장금 (Dae Jang Geum) and its lead Lee Young-Ae. Companies in China, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan are already discussing possible distribution rights sales, and it's expected this new show will attract a lot of attention overseas.

After remaking their 1986 masterpiece 사랑과 야망 (Love & Ambition), which will start airing soon, the Kim Soo-Hyun/Kwak Young-Beom team is preparing for another remake, this time for the 1988 MBC Drama 모래성 (The Castle of Sand). Kwak, who worked with Kim over a dozen times over the years, commented this and 'Love & Ambition' were his favourite Dramas, so working again on something like that was a pleasure. The original starred Park Geun-Hyung and Kim Hye-Ja, and was amongst the most popular shows of the late 80s. After 'Love & Ambition' starts airing on SBS this February, the two will start working on the script for 'The Castle of Sand', which will be broadcast next year.

Ahhh... good news. 무영검 (Shadowless Sword) might not have been that much of a hit, but Yoon So-Yi has shown she's one of the most exciting talents in Chungmuro. She just chose her next TV Drama project, and it's a promising one: she will star in Noh Hee-Kyung's 굿바이 솔로 (Goodbye Solo), which already cast talented youngster Cheon Jung-Myung from 태풍태양 (The Aggressives) and 패션 70s (Fashion Seventies). The show will start airing on KBS this March, and it already started shooting last January 9.

Kim Hee-Sun is back! Did she... ever leave? Not that I don't want her to work, but she seems to magnetically attract bad scripts, and her acting hasn't improved a lick in the last... well, forever. Anyway, after that 'masterpiece' 슬픈연가 (Sad Sonata), Kim will make her long awaited (?) return to the small screen, with 미친 사랑의 노래 (Crazy Songs of Love). Written by Lee Yoo-Jin of 불새 (Phoenix), the Drama is expected to start shooting in mid February, and two between Lee Jung-Jae, Jang Dong-Gun and Kwon Sang-Woo will be chosen for the two male leading roles. The production team is negotiating with all three stations (MBC, KBS, SBS) to get the highest bid, and they plan to air the Drama in late Spring. They're also adding the final touches to negotiations with Japanese investors, so this will be a Japan-Korea co-production. Now, what are the three 'don'ts' of TV Drama Hell? 1. Cast pretty stars who can't act. Answer? Kim Hee-Sun; 2. Overseas locations, just for the hell of it. Answer: the first part of the Drama will shoot in Nice, France, and later in Japan and Korea (Jeju Island); 3. Use another lame love triangle between one woman and two men. Answer: 'Crazy Songs of Love' tells the story of a woman, a fragile glass between two rocks (the two men), unable to choose who's the most annoying between the two. My choice? Probably changing the channel...

TV DRAMA WRAPUP

What did this beginning of 2006 on TV bring us? Perhaps one of the most surprising things you could expect: MBC is doing better. There was an air of wanting to commit seppuku around the end of the year around what once was called the 'Kingdom of Dramas'. Their last few Weekday Dramas 영재의 전성시대 (Young-Jae's Heydays) and 달콤한 스파이 (Sweet Spy) failed to capture the viewers' interest, and even though Historical Drama 신돈 (Shin Don) was (and still is) the best thing on TV, it couldn't even reach 15% ratings. Did the end of the Hwang Woo-Suk fiasco allow them to regain some credibility? Did people forget about the scandals of last year? I don't know, but things are definitely looking better, and I couldn't be happier. Now the problem is what's helping them regain popularity, the show themselves.

As I said, 'Shin Don' is fantastic. A super solid, bad ass Historical Drama reminding of the gems of yesteryear. Now that the storyline is building momentum, there's no stopping it. The acting is really good, especially Son Chang-Min, Jung Bo-Seok, Lee Dae-Yeon and even newcomer Seo Ji-Hye. The writing by the great Jeong Ha-Yeon flows marvelously, the sets are stunning, and the story is gripping. Ratings went up to a solid 14-15%, beating SBS' lame 백만장자와 결혼하기 (Marrying a Millionaire) and even KBS' 서울 1945 (Seoul). Although the show is a little different from the 'male-centered' sensibilities of past Dramas like 'Sang Do', it's still more focused on the story over the melodrama, unlike 'new age' Historical Dramas like 해신 (Emperor of the Sea). But the show started and continued with quality, so no problems here.

Things are a little different when we add 궁 (Princess Hours) into the picture. Adapted from a popular manhwa (which I lost interest in pretty much instantly), the show is former director Hwang In-Roi's return to the small screen in five years. Many netizens complained about the cast of the Drama, even before it started airing, as former Baby VOX member Yoon Eun-Hye (making her acting debut), pretty boys Ju Ji-Hoon and Kim Jung-Hoon (former UN member) and the underrated Song Ji-Hyo from 여우계단 (Wishing Stairs) and 썸 (Some) didn't exactly excite them. And, even though veterans like Choi Buram, Kim Hye-Ja and Shim Hye-Jin will try not to sink the ship, the lack of experience (and talent?) of the young leads showed right from the beginning. The show looks great, it might be good for a laugh, but if the acting stinks, then are people really going to continue spending two hours a week with it? Although it's clearly targeted to mid/late teens viewers, banking on that demographic is risky, as youngsters have many more venues to enjoy themselves other than TV nowadays. The show started well, with both the first and second episode around the 16%, but if things don't improve soon, I don't think it will keep up with the competition.

But MBC's biggest calling card will be 늑대 (Wolf). Written by Kim Kyung-Se, starring Moon Jung-Hyuk, Eom Tae-Woong and Han Ji-Min in one of those 'hot' love triangles reminding of old school Dramas, the show has the potential to become a big hit. Eom Tae-Woong has deservedly built a cult following after last year's amazing 부활 (Rebirth), and although Han Ji-Min's not a great actress, she's improved by leaps and bounds in the last two years, and is quite popular. Last but not least, the hottest newcomer in Chungmuro last year, Shinhwa member 'Eric' Moon Jung-Hyuk is slowly becoming one of the most sought after actors in the business. Acting clearly needs some tuning up, but he's got barrels of charisma, and producers clearly noticed that. The rest of the cast isn't bad (the great Kim Gab-Soo and Byun Hee-Bong are there, so I'd watch it even if it were crap), and the first episode did reasonably well, with a 15.4% rating, just outside the Weekly Top 10. People are already comparing the mood of 'Wolf' to 모래시계 (The Sandglass) (more for the love triangle than the any particular other element), and although I'll hold judgement until I've seen the show, that's a pretty bold statement.

Talking about bold statements, to those in the media who compared 'Seoul 1945' to the 1992 masterpiece 여명의 눈동자 (Eyes of Dawn), I have only one thing to say: you're smoking, and I don't know if I want any of that. The sets, costumes, special effects and all considered even the script are quite impressive, but the acting lets the show down. Veterans like Park Sang-Myun and Go Doo-Shim try hard, but So Yoo-Jin, Ryu Soo-Young and Han Eun-Jung are almost painful to watch. The show went down to around 10% on its 3rd Episode, then climbed back up to around 15%. It's hard to predict what will happen, but frankly I don't see this show building momentum unless big changes happen. The backbone of Historical Dramas is acting and writing, so if one of two fails, that's when problems begin. Unless you're dealing with Lee Byung-Hoon's 서동요 (The Ballad of Seo Dong).

I wrote several times about my disappointment with the casting, and the 'low-key' atmosphere of the show for most of its first part. But I'm falling for it more and more, and I don't seem to be the only one, as rating are now around the mid 20s, and there's a chance they'll go even higher. It's hard to say if anything changed, as the script was always pretty good, and Jo Hyun-Jae and Ryu Jin's acting is still pretty underwhelming. But the intensity went up a notch, now that the plot got past the introduction of the main characters, setting up the main storyline. The veterans are also helping this show immensely, as I find myself wanting more after every episode. It might not be 대장금 (Dae Jang Geum), and let's not even mention PD Lee's older classics, but I can safely say 'The Ballad of Seo Dong' has finally become what people expected. A very solid, intriguing Drama, Lee Byung-Hoon style. I'm hooked.

What else is new? 마이걸 (My Girl) continues to do extremely well, helped by Lee Da-Hae's explosive charm and ever improving acting skills, the new KBS Drama 'Hello God' started really well and looks headed for an interesting run (except for its ratings), and 별난여자 별난남자 (The Bizarre Bunch) continues to record impressive ratings, despite being just another average KBS Daily Drama. Must be the Kim Ah-Joong effect...

TV DRAMA RATINGS
01/10~01/16

01. 35.6% 별난여자 별난남자 (The Bizarre Bunch)
Daily Drama - KBS1 [Cast: Jung Joon, Kim Ah-Joong, Go Ju-Won]

02. 27.2% 하늘이시여 (Dear Heaven)
Weekend Drama - SBS [Cast: Yoon Jung-Hee, Lee Tae-Gon, Jo Yeon-Woo]

03. 24.1% 마이걸 (My Girl)
Wed/Thu Drama - SBS [Cast: Lee Da-Hae, Lee Dong-Wook, Park Shi-Yeon]

04. 23.8% 서동요 (The Ballad of Seo Dong)
Historical Drama - SBS [Cast: Lee Bo-Young, Jo Hyun-Jae, Ryu Jin]

05. 20.6% 인생이여 고마워요 (Thank You Life)
Weekend Drama - KBS2 [Cast: Yoo Ho-Jung, Park Ye-Jin, Oh Ji-Ho]

06. 17.7% 그여자 (That Woman)
Friday Drama - SBS [Cast: Shim Hye-Jin, Jang Dong-Jik, Oh Yoon-Ah]

07. 17.2% 들꽃 (Wild Flower)
Daily Morning Drama - SBS [Cast: Lee Ah-Hyun, Seonwoo Jae-Deok, Kim Jung-Hak]

08. 16.7% 고향역 (A Place Called Home)
Daily Drama - KBS1 [Cast: Song Ok-Sook, Park Hyung-Jae, Kim Cheol-Gi]

09. 16.2% 궁 (Princess Hours)
Wed/Thu Drama - MBC [Cast: Yoon Eun-Hye, Ju Ji-Hoon, Song Ji-Hyo] NEW!

10. 15.6% 황금 사과 (Golden Apple)
Wed/Thu Drama - KBS2 [Cast: Park Sol-Mi, Park Ji-Bin, Jung Chan]

Sources
Star News: 1, 2, 3, 4
Yahoo Korea: 1
Maxmovie: 1
Yonhap News: 1
Sports Today: 1, 2, 3