Oh boy. This isn’t going to be pretty. On a fairly flawless weekend where I wandered around the City in magnificent late Spring weather, eating and loling around to my heart’s delight and only stopping to girl talk left and right, the only blemish came in the form of electing to watch the newly premiered weekend dramas. I started with the one that I thought would be better, pressing play on A Gentleman’s Dignity first, before venturing into the looks-likes-a-hot-mess Dr. Jin (formerly with the Time Slip in its title). A total of four episodes later, I’m glad I watched them because neither drama left me bored and in fact generated lots of opinions from me. Neither committed the sin of being forgettable, but sadly both are memorable for the wrong reasons in my book.
I already loathe AGD with a passion and find Dr. Jin so stupid and laughable that it actually veers into entertaining must-see territory. I don’t know what Jang Dong Gun was thinking to pick AGD as his drama comeback vehicle in 12 years, and my Song Seung Heon is officially delivering his most insanely cracktastic performance deserving of a Korean Razzie as the titular brain surgeon Dr. Jin. But pitting the two dramas opposite each other, I’m only planning to continue with Dr. Jin because it doesn’t make me want to take a baseball bat and beat the majority of the characters in the drama, and then swing by Kim Eun Sook‘s house to toilet paper it afterwards. AGD is crap (a trite plot and shallow characterizations) wrapped in a fancy box (an all-star male cast), while Dr. Jin is simply a paper mache drama held together with glue, water, and lots of effort.
Let’s get AGD out of the way first. This drama has the putrid textbook Kim Eun Sook sprayed all over it. Pretentious, pointless, and appallingly derivative of so many drama tropes that Kim Eun Sook is turning into Korea’s version of Yu Zheng. She’s an equal opportunity copycat, stealing from her own previous dramas and other folks out there that I feel like she made a bibimbap and then claimed she invented a new dish by presenting it in a pretty plate. And compared to On Air and City Hall, where she actually tackled subject matters that grounded her story in an overarching purpose, AGD is as formless as Secret Garden. It’s just a vehicle for Kim Eun Sook to collect some big stars and have them spout slick dialogue. Except her dialogue here isn’t even as slick as it was in SG anymore. It’s like Kim Eun Sook has finally finally jumped the shark.
In AGD, you can see Kim Eun Sook trying so hard to create distinctive characters to serve her narrative purpose (rather than the other way around) and then mash them together in an endless series of ridiculously contrived and coincidental situations. The four male leads played by Jang Dong Gun, Kim Soo Ro, Kim Min Jong, and Lee Jong Hyuk are there to fulfill a 40-something men stereotype Kim Eun Sook has thought up. I like their friendship, I love the fact that Kim Eun Sook has made an attempt to dramatize the life of people over 40 (who are still sexy and attractive and interesting), but gosh darn it I really can’t stand how artificial everything feels. The men admit to being friends since high school and whenever they get together, they revert back to their 18 year old ways. I think that’s cute in concept, but in execution AGD pulls a bipolar face plant. The men are so extremely immature when together it stretches the credulity.
Right now the only two characters in the entire drama I don’t want to bean is Kim Soo Ro and Kim Min Jong, and both actors are the best part of this drama acting-wise and character-wise. They are understated yet magnetic in their scenes, projecting sexy appeal in a mature way. Lee Jong Hyuk gets to play the most caddish one of the bunch, and his acting hits the spot but his character is just annoying and sophomoric. Jang Dong Gun remains the wild card, currently the least interesting of the four guys IMO, but his emotional growth ought to be the heart to pull this story together and it’ll all depend on which direction Kim Eun Sook takes him. As of now, the other two guys are cringe-inducingly ridiculous, and the ladies fare no better.
This is Kim Ha Neul’s second outing in a Kim Eun Sook drama, and it speaks volumes that I actually prefer her uber-bitch movie star character in On Air to her ditzy and clueless school teacher with the EQ of a guppy. It hurts even more with the insane number of contrivances required to constantly throw all the characters into orbit of each other. The red yarn/string of fate is clearly this drama’s stupid overarching symbolic totem that will keep thwacking us over the head to remind us that the OTP is FATED. Yes, that is obviously the only way people can fall in love in dramas. *face palm* After two episodes I’m cutting my losses and getting out now before I drive myself more insane. I suppose the only silver lining I see in this drama is that all four male leads look like they are having a blast filming together, and I think that must be an awesome experience to work together. They have smashing chemistry actually, too bad I’m so turned off by the headdesk-worthy script.
If I found AGD all skill and no heart, then Dr. Jin is the exact opposite, all heart and zero skill. This script has the subtlety of something written by a kindergartener on a restaurant place mat with a chubby crayon. What elevates this above just your garden variety crappy K-drama (and there are a lot of that out there), is how shockingly bad some of the lead actors are. But let me backtrack and start with the good stuff, Lee Bum Soo is brilliant as Yi Ha Eung (Heungseon Daewongun), showing everyone that he hasn’t done a sageuk in his entire career thus far not because he couldn’t cut it. He steals every scene he’s in and makes you wish he was in every scene in this darn drama. Lee So Yeon is similarly just nailing her role as a gisaeng, while Park Min Young is quite good in both her modern incarnation and her sageuk character. If Dr. Jin was just these three actors as the leads, they might even elevate this script into a perfectly serviceable drama. Might, but probably not, since the script is really so very silly.
Alas, Dr. Jin is literally turned into a near farce by the Wonder Cheekbones Duo of Song Seung Heon and Jaejoong. My oppa is soooo bad here I actually love him more for trying so hard that I can actually see him thinking as he’s acting hoping to nail each scene. His line deliveries are fine, but his facial expressions are all sorts of ridiculously overwrought in most scenes that it almost feels like he’s in a silent film. But the winner of the worst actor in the entire drama goes to Jaejoong, who I had such high hopes after he really impressed me in Protect the Boss. I told a friend yesterday that the horse Jaejoong was riding in episode 1 acted better than he did. It’s true! When the horse was spooked, it freaked out believably. Whereas Jaejoong has thus far shown the same constipated expression for every single scene regardless of whether he’s supposed to be angry, determined, or calm. Plus his sageuk line readings have such an awkward cadence, like he rushing each sentence because he’s afraid he will be talking too slow.
Despite the bad acting and shoddy directing, the story which is based on the J-dorama Jin remains quite interesting. I do think it’s absolutely hilarious that in two episodes, Dr. Jin has had to perform multiple surgeries and keeps running into people with head trauma. Not to mention he runs into his modern day girlfriend’s sageuk doppleganger almost immediately upon arriving in Hanyang. What are the odds, eh? If I accept this drama is just written in such a ham-handed and silly way, I almost find it quaint and charming. It has a simplicity about it that keeps the entire production on even ground. It’s not asking a flawed acting ensemble to attempt a difficult script or wasting phenomenal actors on grade school fare, Dr. Jin is silliness that tries really hard to make the story have stakes and purpose.
We know modern surgeon Dr. Jin went back to the past and will change the lives of many people he encounters because of his medical knowledge. He might even alter or affect the course of Joseon history, and I confess to being really fascinated in seeing how he intersects with what we know of how Yi Ha Eung will become Heungseon Daewongun, the father of the Emperor Gojung. I’m a little annoyed that both of Park Min Young’s characters are written to be one-dimensional Mary Sues right off the bat, but she surprisingly has good chemistry with Song Seung Heon that I’m already over the odd factor and looking forward to seeing them interact in the drama. So I guess what I’m saying is that I’ll be continuing with Dr. Jin despite how stupid it is because at least I care about some of the actors as opposed to watching AGD which feels like I’m selling out my soul to drink from Kim Eun Sook’s trendy Kool Aid. Been there, done that with Secret Garden. Dr. Jin has nowhere to go but up, whereas AGD is so vile to me in its shallow superficial constructs I don’t even care if it eventually turns into a decent watch. Despite my love for CH, I know plenty of folks who could never get over the early shallowness of Kin Eun Sook’s script for my beloved drama, and now I finally understand why. My verdict? AGD is clearly the better drama in terms of overall quality and acting, but Dr. Jin is more entertaining and has emotional stakes.
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Equal parts of sucking, for differing reasons, and is it just me, or have I seen AGD in other dramas? Not the exact premise, but the same type of premise, same characters, similar dialogue, different day .... sure it zips and zings occasionally, but I could look away and change a diaper without missing a damn thing, which means it sucketh.
General Disappointment has shown up to command both dramas to this point. No decision on whether to continue: I'm leaning towards marathoning them in the end of July.
When watching AGD, I literally feel my brain flashing through the roledex of Kim Eun Sook (plus others) dramas and going "uh, this again?" or "did she just lift that scene from *insert X* drama?" It was surreal. She's getting close to parodying herself. I feel like I'm watching Song Yoon Ah playing the writer which was Kim Eun Sook in On Air having conversations with herself as she's writing AGD and wanting to find the "hook" and the "banter" and forgetting all about organic story.
Finally ur comment about AGD is here, I really want to know ur opinion...
I haven't watch Dr. Jin so i cannot compare it... But yes, i do agree with u, in AGD there are so much Secret Garden... JDG character who falls for KHN first while she's ignoring him, it's like watching SG again... An office suddenly become nature...wow that's so SG. It's like rewind SG in a different way. Anyway, i still want to watch it as my guilty pleasure, hehehe
One of my sticking points with AGD was the bromance -- I'm currently in the Mischievous Kiss realm, where I have to suspend so much disbelief to believe that these F44's are 1. still single and 2. still behaving like pre-teenage boys while 3. being successful in their business lives.
I like the guys being "cute" together, and Kim Eun Sook can usually deliver the light and the cute on a level I appreciate, but this is a vomitorium for me, gagging me with the 11-year old cute. She's had her leading man be the first to confess and pursue in the past, we've had the red thread of destiny in the past, we have had all of her 1,001 Coincidences in K-Dramas for Dummies, we've had the female leads who are calm, cool, collected and successful in their work lives and emotional whack-jobs in their personal lives. It's all so ... cookie-cutter, formulaic, been-there, done-that, bought the t-shirt. I normally follow the writer, and some of Kim Eun Sook's early work has impressed me and been my personal Waterloo, but this time, AGD is defeating me in a whole new way -- making me run away from her work.
I'd say there's plenty of time to turn it around, but I have over 31 dramas on my backlist and blogs to maintain, and frankly, I don't have time for her to piddle around with the writing and try to strike chemistry with clever lines for the next 8-12 episodes, then bring it all to a closure with some rigged and manufactured K-structure that we've seen 101 times.
Ultimately, the biggest letdown for me: Kim Eun Sook can do SO much better, andI think, honestly, success has made her rather lazy with her writing, as in, "Oh, this formula makes the masses happy enough, so I'll go with it again." It's a constant necessity of every writer, to refresh oneself, to explore and go where they have not gone, to be organic and authentic at the roots of their writing, to believe in what they are doing and not just cash in for the paycheck. I've written to get a paycheck before, and while it has its rewards (money, pleasing bosses), it has definite drawbacks, and in this case, I think they are clear: formulaic, stilted writing of cliched material and characters with lackluster interest by the writer herself. You can tell when a writer is in love with her/his own characters, because it is obvious in the material. It's non-existent in AGD.
We don't like JDG's character very much, Kim Do-jin, and I suspect we don't love him at all for himself, as Kim Eun Sook doesn't. Half of the "fanning" I am reading about AGD is about Jang Dong-gun himself, really, not his character. :( That's all well and good, to be fans, but it's not good enough to spare the reality of the drama he's starring in.
To be fair, and honest, I have ZERO expectations from Song Seun Hung in Dr. jin. I love the J-drama, and as every single instance of a J-drama remade into a K-drama will prove, the Japanese ALWAYS do it better. I sat here for 25 minutes trying to think of a single instance in which the acting and storytelling in a k-drama remake were better than the J-drama original, and came up with zilch. Please, prove me wrong, but be careful to include lots of concrete details, because if you go blathering about some idol/actor being so cute, you've lost me.
Shot in high definition, budgets exploding all over the place, even hot shot names and curiously resilient bad actors cannot save most k-dramas from being disappointments these days. The writing, where it all starts, has to have heart and soul, heart and soul. And Korea, for some inexplicable reason, has decided to cut it's nose off to spite it's face and churn out sub-par plots and dialogue and ask us to swallow the "blue pill" and be happy about it.
I've liked many a stupid drama, many a poorly written drama, many a drama for only have abs and a handsome face (Scent of a Woman, I'm talking to you), but I think I'm growing up, which finds me disgruntled with substandard writing and calling for improvements in the medium. I love k-dramas, still, but I want more for my time invested than light and fluffy meandering repetitive material with the newest or returning face to cover up the flaws.
I was actually refreshing your website just to see if you were going to write about AGD.... I find it surprising at first that you didn't like it, but I can see why. There are a lot of coincidences and crazy crossed ties between all the characters that it veered toward BS, but I think I just had a really open mind when I started this drama so it didn't bother me... haha. Personally I loved the first two eps because it's so bromantic and hilarious. The four ajusshis are doing really well (with Soo-ro blowing it out of the water for me) and I can't wait to watch them on my screen again next week.
I haven't seen Dr. Jin yet but I usually steer clear of SSH dramas if I can help it. (Except for My Princess..... dat wun wuz kute.)
I just sat back and enjoyed AGD because it entertained me in a way at least.
I don't dislike the characterizations that much and i love the music and directing.
I am kinda annoyed by KHN's character but then she's adorable at some parts.
The whole drama for me is just pure entertaining but then it don't get my heart if it make sense... I was just sitting there and laughing at some parts but then it doesn't make me rave or remember it after i finish watching.
Haven't caught on Dr Jin, but from reviews, it has bad directing... and despite loving KBS and PMY... i dun think i can take another sageuk. Honestly... after watching BBJX, my standards for sageuk drama has been way too high which is why i feel nothing for the super popular drama "the moon that embraces the sun". I'm not a big fan of sageuk dramas anyway so BBJX was the few that really got my heart.
I guess i'll continue with AGD and currently waiting for BIG and "Bridal Mask" - OH please be good... I'm excited mostly for Bridal Mask because of its characters description, plot and the time setting in 1930s... it's not really sageuk but more like modern sageuk... which i find a more interesting time setting than sageuk.
OMG CAROLINE, IS THAT YOU?! O_O
Just wondering if you are the Caroline from Illustrious that I knew. XD
If not, I'm sorry!
yes, Lingling this is me :)
I was doing the exact same thing! I don't actually watch korean dramas much (so I don't have much to compare it with) and I wasn't expecting much, which is probably why I enjoyed the first two eps of AGD so much. Its light, fluffy and fun, not requiring any sort of emotional commitment (I don't feel like it when I'm in the middle of a hectic uni period) whilst providing me with genuine laughter. And its not completely sanitised :D Even Yi Soo, the clueless teacher that she is had a hilarious line about Tae Soo and Se Ra being too noisy...LOL
I can already predict the storyline the drama is going to take plus its chockfull of cliches but I actually don't mind that (but I know why people aren't going to like it) Sometimes good chemistry, amazing bromance and good-looking leads are enough to get me into a drama :) Plus I love the settings and the whole look of the drama too :D
Personally, I prefer AGD over Dr. Jin... I found Dr. Jin's execution to be sloppy and some scenes actually ended up being comedic even when they aren't even supposed to. AGD, on the other hand, had me fluttering and busting a gut in all the right moments.
Although, I really liked the chemistry between Park Min-young and Song Seung-heun in Dr. Jin, I found Park Min-young's character to be a bit cliche. As for Jang Dong-gun and Kim Ha-neul, I wasn't fully sold on their chemistry until the end of episode 2. I loved the History of the Salaryman-esque red thread scene... and I also love how Kim Ha-neul's character can so quickly deflate Jang Dong-gun's character's ego (especially since he's this playboy who can be able to get any woman's number in under 30 seconds).
I was also so enamored with the fact that Jang Dong-gun was the first to fall in love with Kim Ha-neul, not once but twice (he fell in love with who he thought were two women, but finally realized it was just one woman)... And that when she asked him why he was so invested in her 'answer', he so blatantly replied that it was because he fell for her every time he saw her. And that teasing her was the only way for him to see her.
I like that he isn't some Mr. Darcy who's conflicted by his feelings for her. I love that he just puts it out there, "I've fallen for you."
Overall, AGD and Dr. Jin were two dramas that I never really looked forward to (I've been waiting for Gong Yoo's comeback Big... nuff said) but I still checked out the first episode just to get a feel for both dramas. I found that I wasn't really as invested with Dr. Jin (honestly, I actually thought that if I would have liked one of them, it would have been Dr. Jin, not AGD) but I was just immediately enamored by AGD and its cast. So, I will definitely be tuning into AGD...
THIS!! So strange everything I wanted to write you already wrote!! I agree completely! I prefer AGD over Jin
I first read your comments on AGD with surprise and horror, mainly because I found the first two episodes so amusing that I found myself obsessed with the drama immediately. Then, after thinking back to how much I loathed Secret Garden, I realized that while I will avidly watch AGD until it ends, I will NEVER rewatch it, for exactly the reasons that you pointed out. The first time watching such a drama is fine, because one can be amused. A 2nd or 3rd time, however, and its flaws become painfully obvious.
As for Dr. Jin, I cringed every time Jaejoong was in a scene. I love the man to death, but oh my goodness, he was far better in PtB.
Oh, I've totally been there, done that. I was so obsessed with SG early on, lapping up Kim Eun Sook's crap and asking for more. It's really only after being through so many of her dramas that you realize THERE IS NOTHING MORE THERE. I would say only City Hall and On Air ultimately worked, and even Lovers in Prague got close. But AGD right off the bat feels just like a futile exercise in verbal dexterity to putter in circles and convince us we're seeing something special when its the same shit she pulls. All that changes is a brand spanking awesome new cast. I'm still tempted to keep watching AGD for the guys, especially Kim Soo Ro and Kim Min Jong. So far they are the only worthwhile thing in AGD.
I am with you ockoala ...
dear Ms Koala, i only found that SG is nothing more than sugar coated drama this morning. I should thank The King 2Hearts for this.
And sorry Ms. Koala, I misunderstood you for such a long time. Mianhe-yo.
Agreed. I did like SG but sometimes it seemed a bit...off. I realise that its a drama I'd never watch again and looking back at it, it really had quite a number of flaws. -_-'
I found I enjoyed Secret Garden much more on a rewatch.^__^
I feel like you went easy on Dr. Jin. Or maybe it's because I'm extra hard on Dr. Jin because I love the J version so much more. The thing about Dr. Jin is that it's NOT supposed to be that simple.. & lame.. & funny. It's supposed to be a lot more moving. Bwahaha, & full of heart? Well, I would say that the drama's full of heart too if it were indeed written by a 3 year old & acted out by an amateur. But no. I think it's just that the production blew their budget on buying the rights to JIN & hiring this cast. Song Seung Hun's acting is sooo bad I don't even... Man, don't sully the name of JIN, Dr. Jin!
Agree with you,
The Jdrama of JIN way much more better(even I just take aglimpse to compare the two)...dunno if I'm gonna watch dr.Jin, since I'm focused with the medical manuever, and yes...SSH & Jaejoong doesn't make any difference for me
As AGD...I haven't watch it yet, and it's not fair before see in my own eyes.
I think it's pretty difficult to get rid my addiction toward previous drama..err..
I’m extra hard on Dr. Jin because I love the J version so much more.
This is me. I really love the J version and although I cringed when they announced SSH to lead Dr. Jin, I'm hoping for the best. I should know better not to compare J version with K version (BOF, operation proposal etc) but you just can't help it, really. I love Jeajoong but I cringed when he delivered his lines. I unintentionally & inappropriately LOL at some of the scene and that not really good. And whats up with the baby in jar really??
To me, AGD is pretty and sleek. Thats all. I never watching it with any expectation and I guess it save me?
definitely agree with you about Dr. Jin, i think loving the J version made me much more harsh at this one.
Well I've only seen the first 2 episodes of AGD and so I'm half sold.
the first episode of AGD was terrible, just really really slow and boring
the whole red wool dress scene was cute but it had me rolling my eyes during the whole thing
thankfully episode 2 rolled around and at least this episode was funny, although I still do not see where this drama is going, there was too much going back and forth with KHN's character
and the whole settlement issue feels way too forced and dragged out.
the last scene with JDG claiming the chocolates were his and Yi-Soo fake confessing to JDG's character was chuckle-worthy but predictable
the highlight of episode 2 was probably the group scramble to avoid being caught by the wifey, and then their love shot, love shot scene was hilarious
oh well, at least the bromance is good
ah and I like Tae-sun's sister, Maeri, she's gutsy (and she likes Yoon!)
...a lot of hate right there. Sounds like a colonoscopy would have been more enjoyable.
Really? I wouldn't know. If you share the experience of having a colonoscopy, I can perhaps make a comparison and decide which of the two is more enjoyable. I quite enjoyed Dr. Jin actually. Nothwithstanding its limitations, It was a great drama to watch while playing a mental drinking game.
well.. all i can say, too much romantic drama i've watch recently, not to mention the following drama such as I need Romance 2 and Big, just realized that I just got bored with that same story, but I think I like to watch that kind of drama sometimes because it feels good to just laugh on funny scenes, get your stress out of your head for a while. And for instance I also need to watch something different, something I could never think of, like Vampire Prosecutor or Ten or I think I will watch Ghost and Bridal Mask. I think that will make my life complete, yeah.. I am a drama addict.. hehehe...
/lurker coming out of hiding/
It's interesting to read your first impressions on the new weekend dramas ockoala! I normally just lurk around and agree with most of your comments, but I personally enjoyed AGD so much more than Dr. Jin! I thought that the cast chemistry In AGD more than made up for any faults in the writing. On the other hand, I thought that Jin had no skill AND no heart, whether it was the writing or cast (aside from LBS and LSY). I found my eyes rolling every two minutes in Dr. Jin! I mean, the thing that bugged me the most (plot-wise) was the way they set up the romantic pairings in Dr. Jin. The fact that SSH conveniently finds a past version of PMY's character on his first day in the past and that the two girls even have the same personality to boot?! That cliche plot device (and diversion from the original manga and drama) just raised a red flag and screamed, "FATEFATEFATE" (ala Rooftop Prince) on so many more levels to me than the cute (and literal) red thread of fate in AGD.
Have you seen the Japanese version of Jin by the way? It is definitely worth the watch and based on the first two episodes of the Korean version, is way better in execution.
Ergh, yeah. Jin had me laughing so badly at SSH's scenes...oh my god, that man is best as a pretty face in a photograph. But Lee Beom Soo and Kim So Yeon are kicking it out of the park, and like you said I wish the drama were better so I don't regret missing these two.
I didn't know AGD's writer/director(?) is known as a copycat but a scene from the first episode was so similar to a scene in taiwanese drama Endless Love that even though I hated that drama & do not want to waste anymore time on it remembering anything, I immediately thought of it. Check out around four minutes in this clip: http://www.viki.com/channels/1656-endless-love/videos/12773/1. Similar meet cute also in episode 1 involving red skirt/yarn to symbolize love connection cannot be a coincidence, right?
I remembered that the red string/yarn was used in Salaryman in early episode, btwn Yeochi and Bang. I guess a lot of drama use it to symbolize love connection/fate/whatever.
I wouldn't say copycat. The whole "string of fate" is pretty well known there's even articles about that. It's said that everyone is tied together by a invisible red string that will lead there significant other to each other. It's actually been done in lots of dramas and movies.
From Jane Eyre I don't know if this precedes the first time we hear about this idea ever, but Bronte wrote this back in the mid 1800's.
It's one of the most perfect explanations of being in love, feeling that connection physically.
"I sometimes have a queer feeling with regard to you - especially when you are near me, as now: it is as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and inextricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame. And if that boisterous channel, and two hundred miles or so of land come broad between us, I am afraid that cord of communion will be snapt; and then I've a nervous notion I should take to bleeding inwardly."
- Mr. Rochester.