SBS has just opened its official website for its upcoming weekend drama Secret Garden. I immediately dived right in and rolled around until I was all covered in Ha Ji Won and Hyun Bin. Wait, I think that was my dream the other day. Oh bother.
Regardless, I’m here to present a veritable avalanche of production stills from the drama. Quite frankly, this is the first drama where I remain clueless about anything happening in terms of plot even after I’ve feasted on still after still. Writer Kim Eun Sook better bring it, and then knock my socks off.
If I didn’t know anything about the body-swapping premise, I would have guessed this drama was a Cinderella Man redux whereby Binnie played twin brothers, uptight three-piece suit Binnie, and blue glittery tracksuit hobo Binnie. What a minute, it’ll be as if Binnie played both guys in Ireland. Damn, why didn’t that happen, which would have resulted in Binnie getting the girl either way.
No wonder I hate Ireland so.Yes, is still bitter. Back to SG, still looking forward to it, still optimistic and curious, still praying really really hard to the drama gods. Don’t mess this up, please.
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Koala??? is this our next life line????? i will follow if you tell me to. i totally trust your judgement.
I know you asked earlier in another comment thread, and I didn't meant to ignore you! Really! I try my best to respond anytime someone asks me a direct question in a comment. Except you adorable PKissers descend like happy campers and pretty soon I can't find a comment or a question in the mix.
Back to your question - I'm (1) not sure if I'll recap another drama and (2) if I do recap another drama - the chances are high that it will be either Secret Garden, Athena, and/or Mary Stayed Out All Night.
Thank you for the vote of confidence! Even if I don't recap, I try to give a first impression review, either here or at Thundie's Prattle. :-D
no biggie... i can imagine how swamped you must get.... i will follow what ever you recap... i love hyun bin....so handsome... i watched world that they lived in...3x... i have practically worn out my dvd copy!!!and also whats his name from he is beautiful...so Mary stayed out all night should be a dream...but whatever you decide to recap will be the ONE!!!!! thank you.... i am honored to receive a direct response from you.....
omg... if you ever decide to recap any of those 3 mentioned, you can expect some more stalking from me...
wait! no, wait! really, don't be scared off... it most likely won't be of the magnitude of PK period... I hope i just didn't just convince you not to recap... -_-
Something feels very off the way these stills looked....i thought this was going to be a romcom but it looked and felt kinda melodramatic to me....not in the mood for one of those...hopefully it turns out otherwise....i'm praying hard too...this is the only other drama i'm really looking forward to this year
D
Kim Eun Sook does *not* do romcoms. Her dramas may start on fast, flirty, fun, and furious in pace - but it almost always descends into melodrama in the second half.
Without fail: Lovers trilogy, On Air, City Hall. The latter two she managed to shepard the drama through the melodrama trenches without it being bogged down (my opinion), whereas all the Lovers turned into weepfests midway through and lost its zing and zest.
SB will be no exception, but if there is an actress who can do melodrama and elevate it to an entirely new art form, then it is Ha Ji Won. WHIB proves her serious melodrama mettle.
Also knowing both HJW and Binnie's script selection tendencies these days, neither would likely sign up for a romcom drama. Short answer - I always believed SG is a melodrama with a fantasy premise, and the stills convince me that is indeed the tone of the story.
Although I am super excited for Binnie and HJW to be in a new drama AND to be paired together, I still can't get myself psyched up on this one. I will watch it still once it premieres, but for some reason something if off. (maybe YSH's hair?!)
i'm keeping an eye for this one, for hjw and hyun bin's sake...maybe after i read your first impression post...by now, i fully trust your drama analyzing skills, that if you say its a must-watch, i must watch it...(i'm gearing for giant marathon tomorrow because of you, but earlier ep are hard to find).... i also thought this was a romcom, oh well then, time for some angst, aside from the cute i'm currently watching...like xiaoSxin, something is rather off from the stills, aside from the geun-seuk inspired hairdo on YSH (seriously though, its gross!!!), like the very noticeable weight reduction on the face of hyun bin...
I LOL'd on the cinderella man comment because i managed to watch more than half of it until my brain melted into a puddle of EPIC failure...anyway, who's the 2nd female lead?
oh... you should TOTALLY watch Giant... it's so underrated in the international scene but it's really worth it... the thing is a gem... (and also made me grab my hair from stress this week.. but it was all worth it).
hahaha...its another drama that we share...v, we are really drama chingoos...and another thing, i'm back on board now with dr. champ because of the awesome-sauce that is ep 7-8..how many dramas have we shared now..pk, skks, flames, dr. champ... are you watching daemul? queen of reversals is quite fun also...i'm planning to marathon comrades, giant, harvest villa, and life is beautiful this next three weeks since its my semestral break....
lol... i see you here again.. kk
yes, i'm watching daemul, albeit a bit relunctantly but it has improved each episode...
queen of reversals.. haven't watched it yet but will do soon... i loved the trailers posted on db.
comrades is awesome... especially if you compare it to road no1.
harvest villa is another underrated drama... i still haven't watch all of life is beautifull... just some random episodes here and there... too much on my hands currently.
too much drama, too little time...i'm really really liking daemul now...waiting for ep 4...if you liked dr. champ, you'll prob like QoR, it has the quirkiness of dr. champ's 1st ep...so fluffy and warm...
kk. thanks for the heads up about QoR. i'll go in it much more reassured then. c u later at who knows where.. kk
I actually think Dr. Champ is quite different from QoR, but that's just my opinion. The first episode of QoR actually reminded me a lot of Playful Kiss Episode 15. There was so much plot that it was hard to swallow. I have yet to watch the second episode but I think it will be a very light, entertaining watch. I'm just waiting for PARK SHI HOO to show up. But there really is so many dramas to watch that I'm kind of dying. In a good way, of course. ^^
OMG... park shi hoo, park shi hoo, park shi hoo... <3
you know you've got a problem when a cameo phone call in doctor champ had you squealing and screaming more than a pack of six abs in runaway...
and plot being packed it not good but since you mentioned PK.. it's all good... haha.
idk endodo4ever, but i, myself, was surprised that i really really liked the first ep of QoR...maybe i just know from the beginning that they will get married on ep 1, so i just enjoy the ride...or maybe it's because i have like -65% expectation to it, that my watching it makes me satisfied, even if so many things happened...will watch pk ep 15 later, now that you say it, it's like the adult version of pk, particularly ep 15, hahaha...only with better editing...
or maybe i missed the quirkiness and warmth of ep 1 of dr. champ (though it's getting its mojo back) that i associate it with the fluffiness and warmth i feel for QoR, but like you, waiting for PARK SHI HOO!!!
now that i've watched ep 15 and rewatched QoR...i felt that they are really similar...hmmm, from the objective view, QoR is just an okay premiere with them establishing the dynamics...but if i add in my bias, QoR is a lot of fun and i enjoyed it very much, maybe my mood that time (even the second time) was really really good...but i will stand to my comment that though they are similar, QoR's editing is far more superior than PK ep 15...wherein a six-year-old child might be seating on that editor's chair...my god, with all the time jumps and place-switcheroo...there's no subtlety at all..it is pretty mind-boggling!!!!
lol. Just to put a closure to this.. I have seen both episodes now and I agree with both of you. The pace was a bit erratic but it had a bit of heart mixed with "light" comedy like Dr. Champ as well and overall, my conclusion is that I'm going to watch next episodes... Goodness knows I am craving for something to fill this emptiness in me. I know it's overdramatic but that's what I need now that PK has just ended.
Sowie... i didn't feel too comfortable not remembering Jang Geun Suks name from he is beautiful... and i certainly don't want to offend anyone....i have watched this drama a total of 5 x.... he is soooo adorable...and i look forward to Mary stayed out all night...
hwang tae kyung for ever!!
Lol.. thanks for the stills!!
I had the same thoughts about Cinderella man when I saw the stills... muwahaha..
And like you, I am still as bewildered as you as to what exactly this drama will turn out to be... despite all that, I have expectations that it will be either awesomely awesome or it will crash into a disaster... Regardless, I have full intention to watch the whole thing because of HJW. Binnie is like cheery on the cake. Please, do not turn on me like another TnK... I will not survive two of those in one year...
And sorry about making it extra harder for you to find comments... TT
If it can reassure you, all that will stop after PK on my part...
I think I love you.
But why is poor secondary guy wearing that fur vest? It reminds me awfully of the one I bought in Barami (which is a ladies' chain) to wear with a matching skirt. The thought of any man in it...Good Lord.
Oh, no......... Here we are go again. :)
I thought I was gonna take a break for K-drama but I guess not. hehehehehe
I am a total fan girl so, i can watch full 16 episode or more where Hyun Bin is in it. I am least bothered about the story line. Am pretty sure Cinderella Man would have been totally different in its feel if Hyun Bin and Han Ji Won were in it. I so agree with you ockoala, double Binne would be such a treat.
P.S Cinderella Man is no.1 in my worst drama i have watched list. I had to bear through it since i bought the DVD. And i am terrified to watch any drama from all the cast from CM. Yes ! I have no intention of watching Daemul.
So, are we OTers all going to watch this, possibly together, or is it just me and you? I'm curious ^^ You see, I need to prepare myself ^^
Ok, you know what? I loved City hall. The beginning, which was more slapstick than anything, was the weakest part, imho, but um, I thin kthat drama shined because KSA and CSW were wonderful. Now, this cast? I'm hopeful. I'm not so sure if they can pull the body-swap without going, heavy-handed, into lame territory, but I'll try to stay positive.
I STILL cannot believe that's Yoon Sang-hyun. I mean, gah, every time I see a new still from this drama, my mind boggles. He's still hot, but...
An another thing. What's with all the shiny outfits lately? 0_O
Just you, me, Kender, mookie, langdon are for sure watching it. Everyone else may check it out, but I already can guess who will likely not like it. LOL, we've gotten to a point where we can pretty accurately guage everyone else's reactions.
I think Shiny is the new Skinny? Remember all those skinny-ass pants everyone was wearing in late 2009-early 2010. I think we're off on a shiny tangent now.
It hurts me what they did to YSH - hair, outfit, the whole (s)he-bang. *shudders*
LOL Okay, then. We should try to organize SG soirées and squee/LOL/mock/suffer in pain together. That'd be great. Also? Dude, I'm SO easy when it comes to dramas, esp kdramas.
True, true. And I didn't like that trend, either. I'm still sending prayers above, hoping LMH decides to change his style. I know he's stylish and all and I do love the guy, but if I have to see another pic of him with too-tight/too-short pants, I may have a nervous breakdown. LOL
Yes!