Gloria Breaks My Heart and Yet Warms It
Nov. 4th, 2010 07:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
walkwithheroesGloria continues to be the "Best Show No One's Watch" - both in Korea (ratings are hanging steady between 8.1%-9.8%) and everywhere else. It airs on Saturdays and Sundays at 19:55 (aka 9:55 p.m.)opposite All About Marriage (ratings are in the early 20%s). The show is about:
30-year-old Na Jin-Jin (Bae Du-Na) lives with her mentally disabled older sister Na Jin-Joo, who possesses the mental capacity of a 5 year old. Na Jin-Jin dreams of a becoming a singer. Ha Dong-Ah ((Lee Cheon-Hee) is her loyal best friend with a warm personality; he raises his young nephew while working as a bouncer at the local club.
Lee Kang Suk (Seo Ji-Seok) possesses a cold personality and is the secret son of Chaebol family. He doesn't believe in love due to his relationship with his older half-brother and parents, but this all changes when he meets Na Jin-Jin. Jung Yoon-Seo (So Yi-Hyeon) is the quiet and secret daughter of a Chaebol family. She gave up ballet after suffering an injury and returns to Korea, where she lives with a demanding mother. She meets Dong-Ah by accident and begins to feel alive.
The thing that I really love about this drama (28 episodes have aired; 26 episodes are subtitled) is the natural ways the characters and their relationships are written. (Not surprising as the writer of Gloria wrote Stars Falling From the Sky, Family Honor, and How to Meet a Perfect Neighbor)
When we first meet Jin Jin and Dong-Ah, they are two 30 year old people, who have been best friends since they were in the first grade. They both work at the same night club, they both take care of their family, and they live in the same place. If it were any other drama, or hell, just real life, I'd guess that Jin Jin and Dong-Ah would marry. Not so!
Jin Jin meets 30 year-old Lee Kang Suk, the son of a wealthy businessman and his mistress. Kang Suk lives with his father, stepmother, and older (Creepy) half-brother. His stepmother treats him like an annoyance and his older brother, Lee Ji Suk, hates him - and, isn't too polite to tell Kang Suk daily. When Jin Jin and Kang Suk meet, sparks fly; their is a spark, and the two enjoy teasing each other. It's the classic 'rich boy with an icy heart meets poor plucky girl'.
Meanwhile, Dong-Ah meets the suicidal Jung Yoon Seo. She's the secret daughter of a rich man and his mistress. Yoon Seo was once a ballerina in America, but was hurt and forced to return to Korea. Yoon Seo is used as a pawn in the relationship between her parents; her mother uses Yoon Seo to get attention and Yoon Seo's father simply gives Yoon Seo gifts and tells her what to do.
Dong-Ah falls for Yoon Seo quickly, but because she's "rich", he uses the old "we're just friends" excuse to hang around her. I would go into more details, but I don't want to spoil anything. I'll just say that I love their relationship: he's the tough guy with a heart of cold and she's the fragile, but utterly pure and loving rich girl.
All four of these characters are so real - none of them are perfect, but all their flaws are very true to life. There are no crazy cartoon secondary leads here. I truly love the friendships that develop between the four of them - I call them the Fab Four, because they are all awesome and beautiful.
I'd also like to briefly mention the plot-lines. It was a slow build up, with lots of hinting, but as of episode twenty-five - it's on!
Creepy aka Lee Ji-Suk is the worst man ever. His jealously of his younger brother (Kang Suk), his obsession with Yoon Seo, his past romance with the now disabled Jin Joo. . .it all makes him a twisted man. Ji-Suk had an affair with Jin Joo twenty years ago, when she was an up and coming singer. It was an affair, that resulted in Jin Joo getting into an accident and the death Ji-Suk's wife. Now, Ji-Suk drinks too much, stalks Yoon Seo, and tries to make Kang Suk and Jin Jin's lives hell. I hope he ends up in jail. For real.
Yoon Seo and Dong-Ah married in episode twenty-five! It was the sweetest thing, with just Kang Suk and Jin Jin attending.
In episode twenty-six, YS/DA went off on their honeymoon, but not before Kang Suk tried to give Dong Ah some pointers ("Make her feel comfortable and safe, don't rush it."/"Don't pretend that you have more experience than me!") Those two are a total bromance; and, it's kind of amusing to think three 30 year olds are all virgins.
Yoon Seo and Dong-Ah had a really dorky and sweet honeymoon. I loved that he didn't want to sleep with her, in case they can't go to America. Because, he's scared she'll be taken away from him and he doesn't want to "spoil" her, if she's forced to marry a rich man. Dong-Ah is such a pure man, and that's why I love him.
Also, in episode twenty-six, Jin Joo went missing. That bastard Creepy had her kidnapped! But, she was returned safely in episode twenty-seven, and was able to get treatment. Now, she is starting to get her memory back and is starting to act like a normal 40 year old woman. I thought the drama was done for, because there wasn't that much drama left, but with Jin Joo recovering. . .there will be drama.
Oh, and I'm worried about Yoon Seo, because what she said when she and Dong-Ah went on their honeymoon in episode twenty-six. She talked an awful lot about wanting to be with Dong-Ah forever, she never wants to be taken away from him, about how she wants to live and die with him, etc, etc. I'm worried that Yoon Seo is going to die now! I'm really hoping the drama doesn't end with YS dead, Kang Suk going away, and Jin Jin and Dong-Ah marrying. I could honestly see the drama going that way. At least, I can see Yoon Seo dying, just because of how physically fragile she is and because of Creepy. If anyone tried to hurt Dong-Ah, I could see her stepping in and being shot or stabbed in order to protect DA.
I want to write more, but frankly I can't get my thoughts straight. So, that's it for now.
30-year-old Na Jin-Jin (Bae Du-Na) lives with her mentally disabled older sister Na Jin-Joo, who possesses the mental capacity of a 5 year old. Na Jin-Jin dreams of a becoming a singer. Ha Dong-Ah ((Lee Cheon-Hee) is her loyal best friend with a warm personality; he raises his young nephew while working as a bouncer at the local club.
Lee Kang Suk (Seo Ji-Seok) possesses a cold personality and is the secret son of Chaebol family. He doesn't believe in love due to his relationship with his older half-brother and parents, but this all changes when he meets Na Jin-Jin. Jung Yoon-Seo (So Yi-Hyeon) is the quiet and secret daughter of a Chaebol family. She gave up ballet after suffering an injury and returns to Korea, where she lives with a demanding mother. She meets Dong-Ah by accident and begins to feel alive.
The thing that I really love about this drama (28 episodes have aired; 26 episodes are subtitled) is the natural ways the characters and their relationships are written. (Not surprising as the writer of Gloria wrote Stars Falling From the Sky, Family Honor, and How to Meet a Perfect Neighbor)
When we first meet Jin Jin and Dong-Ah, they are two 30 year old people, who have been best friends since they were in the first grade. They both work at the same night club, they both take care of their family, and they live in the same place. If it were any other drama, or hell, just real life, I'd guess that Jin Jin and Dong-Ah would marry. Not so!
Jin Jin meets 30 year-old Lee Kang Suk, the son of a wealthy businessman and his mistress. Kang Suk lives with his father, stepmother, and older (Creepy) half-brother. His stepmother treats him like an annoyance and his older brother, Lee Ji Suk, hates him - and, isn't too polite to tell Kang Suk daily. When Jin Jin and Kang Suk meet, sparks fly; their is a spark, and the two enjoy teasing each other. It's the classic 'rich boy with an icy heart meets poor plucky girl'.
Meanwhile, Dong-Ah meets the suicidal Jung Yoon Seo. She's the secret daughter of a rich man and his mistress. Yoon Seo was once a ballerina in America, but was hurt and forced to return to Korea. Yoon Seo is used as a pawn in the relationship between her parents; her mother uses Yoon Seo to get attention and Yoon Seo's father simply gives Yoon Seo gifts and tells her what to do.
Dong-Ah falls for Yoon Seo quickly, but because she's "rich", he uses the old "we're just friends" excuse to hang around her. I would go into more details, but I don't want to spoil anything. I'll just say that I love their relationship: he's the tough guy with a heart of cold and she's the fragile, but utterly pure and loving rich girl.
All four of these characters are so real - none of them are perfect, but all their flaws are very true to life. There are no crazy cartoon secondary leads here. I truly love the friendships that develop between the four of them - I call them the Fab Four, because they are all awesome and beautiful.
I'd also like to briefly mention the plot-lines. It was a slow build up, with lots of hinting, but as of episode twenty-five - it's on!
Creepy aka Lee Ji-Suk is the worst man ever. His jealously of his younger brother (Kang Suk), his obsession with Yoon Seo, his past romance with the now disabled Jin Joo. . .it all makes him a twisted man. Ji-Suk had an affair with Jin Joo twenty years ago, when she was an up and coming singer. It was an affair, that resulted in Jin Joo getting into an accident and the death Ji-Suk's wife. Now, Ji-Suk drinks too much, stalks Yoon Seo, and tries to make Kang Suk and Jin Jin's lives hell. I hope he ends up in jail. For real.
Yoon Seo and Dong-Ah married in episode twenty-five! It was the sweetest thing, with just Kang Suk and Jin Jin attending.
In episode twenty-six, YS/DA went off on their honeymoon, but not before Kang Suk tried to give Dong Ah some pointers ("Make her feel comfortable and safe, don't rush it."/"Don't pretend that you have more experience than me!") Those two are a total bromance; and, it's kind of amusing to think three 30 year olds are all virgins.
Yoon Seo and Dong-Ah had a really dorky and sweet honeymoon. I loved that he didn't want to sleep with her, in case they can't go to America. Because, he's scared she'll be taken away from him and he doesn't want to "spoil" her, if she's forced to marry a rich man. Dong-Ah is such a pure man, and that's why I love him.
Also, in episode twenty-six, Jin Joo went missing. That bastard Creepy had her kidnapped! But, she was returned safely in episode twenty-seven, and was able to get treatment. Now, she is starting to get her memory back and is starting to act like a normal 40 year old woman. I thought the drama was done for, because there wasn't that much drama left, but with Jin Joo recovering. . .there will be drama.
Oh, and I'm worried about Yoon Seo, because what she said when she and Dong-Ah went on their honeymoon in episode twenty-six. She talked an awful lot about wanting to be with Dong-Ah forever, she never wants to be taken away from him, about how she wants to live and die with him, etc, etc. I'm worried that Yoon Seo is going to die now! I'm really hoping the drama doesn't end with YS dead, Kang Suk going away, and Jin Jin and Dong-Ah marrying. I could honestly see the drama going that way. At least, I can see Yoon Seo dying, just because of how physically fragile she is and because of Creepy. If anyone tried to hurt Dong-Ah, I could see her stepping in and being shot or stabbed in order to protect DA.
I want to write more, but frankly I can't get my thoughts straight. So, that's it for now.
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no subject
Date: 2010-11-05 01:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-06 03:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-05 10:54 am (UTC)Re: dying: judging by the writer (good endings galore) and the fact it is an weekend drama, I think dying is unlikely. But who knows? Still - very unlikely.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-05 02:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-06 03:44 am (UTC)I think you should give it a try. It's really wonderfully written and acted. And the soft subs are going out rather quickly. Thanks to Haru.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-07 07:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-07 07:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-07 08:23 pm (UTC)I"m glad the show is long, I don't want to let it go! But, wow it sounds like its getting so good! I can't wait to catch up with you!
no subject
Date: 2010-11-07 08:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-08 04:18 pm (UTC)Its such a great drama, somehow it manages to keep from the really boring cliches and stay grounded in reality. I love some of the darkness underlying the show. It sneaks up on you and just grabs your heart.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-08 04:23 pm (UTC)