Timing really is everything. Even though Secret Garden and Mary Stayed Out All Night premiered the same week, in different and non-competing time slots, one arrived a few days before the other. Rather like calling dibs on my attention span, M3 parked itself in my conscious, occupying the space just vacated by Playful Kiss, and Secret Garden become the also-ran in my viewing repertoire.
I’ve enjoyed every episode of SG, even when I’ve had moments of boredom and doubt interspersed here and there. As a whole, SG has been an entertaining and interesting watch (and is infinitely more challenging and sophisticated a story and production than M3). However, it hasn’t become an obsession of mine. Now that SG is about the hit the mid-way mark in its run, I can safely say that I’m rather glad I didn’t become obsessed with it.
Because I have no fricking clue what the point of this drama is, Kim Eun Sook. Really, do you have a point, because all I see is a subversion of What Happened in Bali (which was itself a subversion of the classic K-Cinderella drama), without the third wheel. I think the biggest mistake was doing the body-switch without explaining the why behind it. I don’t need an explanation of the how, but the purpose of the switch is integral to me in understanding the overarching meaning of your story.
I’m one of the rare drama-watchers blogging today who actually like quite a few of Kim Eun Sook’s works. Most others range from hate to disinterest, and it’s her style that is so off-putting for many viewers. Even with respect to the dramas of hers I didn’t like at all, I’ve never once thought Kim Eun Sook was doing a drama for the sake of showing off the talent involved. I’ve always found she had a story to tell, anchored by a clear vision.
Even if you don’t like it, you can’t accuse of her of being pointless. Until now. Unless SG gives me something, anything, concrete to munch on, it’s veering close to retaining me as a viewer purely on my love for Ha Ji Won, Hyun Bin, and Yoon Sang Hyun, and my appreciation of the great chemistry these three as exhibiting in this drama. I want to love SG so very much, and so far I do like it, and I fear the day is coming that I will be bored with it.
Hopefully, episode 10 will be fun and substantively move the story forward. Right now, I feel like we are at the same place we were at in episode 1 – Ra Im and Joo Won literally haven’t taken a real concrete step forward. Maybe this will do the trick. Presenting a spoiler picture of an upcoming kiss between Joo Won and Ra Im, their first proper kiss in their respective bodies.
Trailer for episode 10:
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From the photos of that kiss, it doesn't seem very romantic. I hope the video will be more intense.
Hi, I actually like SG more than Merry christmas. As for the reason for the body switch, I think it's to set up the later episodes where Ra Im becomes ill.
PS: does anyone know if there is a long version of preview for ep. 10? thx.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r1QxbGZa24
yeah!!! preview!!!
im actually in love with this drama SG is cool :P and i lov it!
its true now that you say it that its not going to anywhere and we are at the 9 episode!
true true! but some moments are priceless!!
i myself :O got stuck into this drama since episode 2!! i just lov it!!!!!
hyun bin looks in love!!! no no no i just love to see him like that!
and thats the main reason why i see this drma
for MMM i really love it but!!! nobody is soooo in love like bin! and thats why im more stuck with SG, i really wish to be more in love with MMM but nobody is really in love is complicated and yet simple! and my pooor baby the rich guy no remember now his name is going to end alone and heartbreaker :( everybody is going to suffer!!! and i hate iT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! mary is gonna cry, my baby Geun suk is going to cry!! my poor rich guy too!!! absolute everybody!!!!
i really hope that the next writer bring this drama to light!!! because is a great story but is not well done!
just my opinion ......................
well i guess JW is taking more extreme measures to get closer to his beloved but poor Ra Im^^
ah, the kiss might not look passionate... but it might be heartfelt, like ep9's hug :D
new-less sparkly-tracksuit... YEAY!!
I just did a marathon of SG for the past 8 episodes. I love how spot on the acting is for the body switch and they really sell the fact that Ra Im is in Joo Won's body and vice versa. It's refreshing to see Hyun Bin acting like a girl stuck in a guy's body, since I've only seen him in Kim Sam Soon. But I agree with ya koala. As much better as SG is, M3 is also my obsession.
Well just my opinion, i think SG is somewhat overrated
at first i watched MMM but then as the story goes on...it gets boring..
n i started searching 4 new korean drama n found SG ,i fell in love with it!especially when hyun bin is the main cast :)
n i agreed with some of the commenter that nothing concrete really happened btween the 2 main character though it's already episode 9 n i didn't really like the part where they switch bodies because it kinda too long..glad i they get their own body back n i pray there's no more switching after this :)
<3 hyun bin
Thanks for posting this Ockoala.
I like to spoil myself for kdramas previews due to I need to watch them without sub most of the time.
I agree with your comment about of SG story line movement " same as we are in episode one"....... I am waiting from SG for the moment of "emotional territory" (let me used your word, pls).
I am pretty much the opposite . I like M3 and its cuteness but I would leave it in a heartbeat if I had to pick between it and SG. Because with SG I am never bored and I love all the characters, but with M3, not only do I only care about the leads, it also makes me skip/ff/skim all scenes without them because I get awfully bored.
I do love the writer a lot - I loved Lovers, On Air and CH. LiP was not my thing but in a "I can see why people like it but not for me" kind of way, not with actual dislike.
I don't think there is a narrative problem - it has about the same narrative speed as her previous dramas - "leads overcome their issues and differences and learn to be with each other only for RI to fall horribly ill and a body swap being necessary to save her" (which is where it seems this is headed) isn't any more or less plot than "plastic surgeon and gangster with a gf fall in love, work out their issues and hook up only for his past to come haunt him" of Lovers or plots of CH or On Air. Or even plots of other romances/romcoms like My Girl, Goong or even Bali (which I agree this is a subversion of). After all, what plot did Bali have? "dysfunctional heroine refuses to show her heart to rich guy with major flaws, so he ends up believing she scammed him and commits murder-suicide" isn't really an epic plot.
I think my bias (as obviously I have one) is toward dramas which have just enough plot and structure not to appear complete sitcoms but have a lot of meaty character interactions. My favorite kdrama of all time is, after all, Worlds Within, and if I tried to come up with a plot description for it, I'd fail ("Lives of PDs?" God, how boring-sounding) and SG, for me, falls into that category and so I love it to bits.
OK, sorry wrote a whole novel here.
Omo, I LOVE Worlds Within/The World They Live In! But I hardly ever find people who like it as much as me. 반가워요 It's so nice to meet another WW lover. ^_^
I watch both, and I also know SG has a better plot, but I really love M3.
I don't care if some parts are boring, because when I see the main couple, all disappear. I so LOVE them!! In SG I do not LOVE the main couple at all.
I love their stares, chemistry but... as a future couple I see so much suffering for the girl... the main guy is just a shit. Oh he is.... never saw a main gyu so so bad!
Is new to see a main guy so hateable and I'm enjoying it, but if he doesn't change (not saying I want him to change to a romantic and sweet guy, I just wish him treat good the girl and stop saying so much hurtful words and how he is so much better than her, really -__-) soon, I'll not cheer for the main couple. hahahaha
I love Oska, he is a funny character and I also enjoy his sad scenes, I'm liking him, he is just like that, he is oska. hahaha xD
RI I like her, really wish the best for her and really wish JW treats her better.
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While some girls like KJW because ''he treats her like that but he likes her so that is ok'' Or because ''he is cuteqhot'' his character isn't buying me at all. Don't misunderstand me, I love the actor acting,and he is doing a good job as KJW, but I just don't agree he deserves the girl, not yet.
While this JL have to take a step. Ok, I know KJW in RI body said to him not talk about it in the future, but I really wish to see he exploding and confessing all. I HATE, hate the second guy that loves the girl but never say this to her. Come on, think in yourselfs too! Go for it! Make things clean! If not you deserve suffer alone like youself choose it...
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In mmm I don't like the second girl. She is too much, and KJW is hot and all but his character just ''miss something'' I don't know what is... but sometimes he is too quiet and this isn't good. Loved KJW's role as tae-sung in BG so I really think the writer doesn't know how to treasure these actors...