So, full disclosure, this post isn’t inspired by an actual Dear kfangurl question, but because Dear kfangurl is where all the lists on the blog live, I figured this would be the best place to put it.
This post is inspired by Beez and Trent, who recently had a conversation on my Kill Me, Heal Me group watch announcement post, where they discussed the nicknames of various actors and actresses.
I thought that would make a fun post, where I could share what I know, and you guys can share what you know, and together, we can paint a fuller picture together!
Hi Bye, Mama! is the kind of show that makes you face difficult emotions and feel all the difficult feelings – and then make you grateful for having felt it all. Show has a bittersweet premise, and treats it with sensitivity and poignance, with a side of levity.
For the most part, Show manages this delicate balance well, and makes me laugh and cry, often within the same episode.
The performances from our cast are strong, and I am particularly impressed with Kim Tae Hee and Lee Kyu Hyung; this is literally the best I’ve seen from both of them. And Kim Mi Kyung, is, as always, a treasure to have onscreen.
On the downside, I felt we spent too much time on stuff to do with the ghost community, and that ended up feeling like filler. I also feel like Show suffers from some pacing issues, causing the last third of our narrative to feel somewhat stalled.
Overall, though, in spite of what I feel are its downsides, Show still manages to feel like a solid, worthwhile watch, with a lot of good ol’ heartachey feels.
In more ways than one, I was drawn to Yong Pal like a moth to a flame.
The teaser of Joo Won being all edgy-superhero-badass, leaping off tall buildings in a single bound while saving people with his scalpel, had me practically jumping out of my skin with excitement (squee!). It all just looked so good. I needed to see this show.
And Show – just like that flame – was beautiful to look at up close too. Y’know, at least for a little while, before it proceeded to burn me on my way out.
When I first decided to dip my toes in Jang Ok Jung, I happened to tweet about the terrible Mandarin that the Qing characters spoke in episode 1, and was quickly greeted by a flurry of concern from my dramaland friends.
Consistently, pretty much every single one of them advised me – strongly – to drop the show while I could, assuring me that it was for the better, since I’d only get frustrated with the show in its later episodes.
I gladly complied, and congratulated myself on having dodged a dud drama. I quickly poured myself into some other drama, and promptly forgot all about Jang Ok Jung.
That is, until many months later, when I was doing some spring-cleaning on the hard disk where I’d saved this drama, and decided to randomly click through an early-ish episode (I think it was episode 5), just to be extra sure that I wanted to delete the drama from my collection.
Well. Imagine my complete and utter surprise, when I happened on a scene that actually piqued my interest. I soon found myself devouring the drama with the help of my Fast Forward button, and I was hooked.
This story bubbled like Korean stew in my brain after seeing the recent press on 2 handsome Lee Min Ho lookalikes. Kfangurl knows I like inventing ‘brother stories,’ so I couldn’t resist.
Second, I really like Fusions. Like the Japanese dramas “Boku to star no 99 nichi,” a cute drama starring Kim Tae Hee (she did an amazing job speaking Japanese), and the crime classic “Rondo,” starring Choi Ji Woo, who also spoke both languages.
I also adored the sugary sweet “Love Actually” with Lee Da Hae (she was dubbed, but sounded fine after the first episode when they changed the voice!) and my favorite Taiwanese actor, Joe Cheng. Their chemistry was off-the-charts smoking.
I’m sure there are more good ones out there. I was set on creating a Fusion for my second Dream Drama, and chose the pretty and popular Taiwanese actress/singer Rainie Yang. The more the story developed, the more I felt she and Lee Min Ho would look awesome together.
Interestingly, one of Rainie’s most popular co-stars is Mike He, and he’s often compared to Lee Min Ho.
Third, I love creating rich backstories, and after writing this one, I really want to see Jang Dong Gun and Jeon Ji Hyun work together. And lastly, I love using “Meta” in my stories. And this is chock full of it!
I hope you enjoy the second Dream Drama for The Fangirl Verdict!
~ Lady G.
Quick Synopsis
A dramatic, bittersweet forbidden love between a lowly fisherman and a precious rich princess gives birth to 3 beautiful sons. When tragedy befalls their little family, the boys are parted from their parents, and the youngest is separated from his brothers.
How will he find his way back to his brothers? Will the boys ever know the truth? Can love in the present heal the hurts of the past?
Follow the now-grown boys on their sometimes amusing, often heart-tugging, ultimately heartwarming, life-changing journey of growth and maturity, forgiveness and love.
~ kfangurl
Main Cast
Lee Min Ho as Youn Joon Min
Jung Il Chae (Real-life Math Teacher/LMH-Lookalike) as Youn Joon Tae
Ye Xiao Kai (Real-life Media Reporter/Other LMH-Lookalike) as Youn Joon Kang / Yun Jun Qiang
