I’m rather caught off guard with my inexplicable affection for keeping track of Gu Family Book. Perhaps it’s because the drama is four episodes away from finishing and there is some satisfaction to seeing how it all ends. Maybe the doubling-up of two of my beloved young actors in Lee Seung Gi and Suzy also doubles down on my goodwill for it. Or rather its a feeling of condescending acceptance (which normally I hate feeling since its best to either love or hate something), that this drama never amounted to much quality-wise but at least it stayed consistent in its narrative reaches. Plus it actually succeeded in developing the pre-ordained OTP so that everyone could get aboard that train when initially that felt like an impossibility in of of itself. The usual spoiler stills for the upcoming episodes dropped today and this time we get some quality bedtime for Kang Chi and Yeol Wool. I actually admire how the drama has used romance in a very idealistic and rather innocent way for both the parents and the kids generation. Everything feels so transcendent in its reach but lacks the dirty heart and guts of it. Parental generation Wol Ryung and Seol Hwa went from love-at-first-save to stab-you-monster betrayal at the drop of a heart, without any of the nitty gritty complexities in between.
Kids Kang Chi and Yeol Wol’s relationship also feels very bookish perfect, like on paper it comes with all the requisite angst but the drama doesn’t delve any deeper into the mores of love in its complicated messiness. What I’m saying is that GFB succeeds in trying to tell even its love stories in a very fairy tale vibe, which makes for great stills but doesn’t exactly engage the emotional senses as much as it could have. I’m along for the ride to see how Kang Chi becomes human and watch for the great epilogue where he gets his happily ever after with Yeol Wol, but I wished this drama could have made the romance more than just high-school-level superficial layers and more digging deep into the guts of what it means for a human to love a non-human being and fight for the chance to be together. I think overall the Kang Chi-Yeol Wol storyline has done a much better job of dealing with this issue than the parents did, but perhaps the age of Suzy and Seung Gi makes the PD want to film their scenes with this burnished sweetness that reminds me of a Disney channel show. I get this isn’t HBO or Showtime, but can we maybe get it to hit ABC or CBS levels of “this hurts of good?” Of course, I’m always a sucker for a well-filmed bed scene, even if all they do is stare at each other chastely.
In many ways I am relieved that this show will soon be coming to an end. I am still curious to see how everything is handled and concluded(since I have invested so much time already :)). While not a complete disaster, I am still so disappointed when I think about what this show could have been.
My feelings exactly, Peridot. When I think of how excited the first 6 episodes got me, and then how much of a chore it became to watch as it went on, I can only say I’m disappointed.
And frankly, Korean modern dramas are kicking the ass of sageuks right now when it comes to quality storytelling (between Cruel City, Monstar, I Hear Your Voice and even Cyrano, we’re spoilt for choice)
So true. It’s usually the other way around, with the sageuks being more meaty, but this time it’s the moderns being more thoughtful and well crafted. Or maybe it’s just cable dramas being awesome.
Actually, I’m pretty sure that it’s just cable being awesome. It’s pretty much homerun after homerun out of them.
I am hoping that Goddess of Fire and Sword and Petal will break the pattern of disappointing saegeuks. I am enjoying both Monstar and I Hear Your Voice (even if the latter is a little too silly and unrealistic at times, and I am not referring to the mind-reading but to the depiction of the law and court-room procedures).
so so so cute!
I agree that both of the romances in Gu feel book-perfect and rather sterile. Part of the problem is that both romances featured one very young partner and one perfect partner. In Gu romance round one, hero does everything a fairytale prince should – saves her from the bad guys, brings her sacks of butterflies, etc. etc. But she is basically a child, and when the illusion is shattered she does not have the maturity to handle it and their relationship, which is all about surface prettiness rather than honesty and trust, crumbles.
Gu romance part 2 flips this trope – the young, struggling partner is the man, and the perfect one who brings all good things is the princess. Really, I find YW a frustrating character: she is a sackful of butterflies, all on her own, but she has no faults, no backstory, no depth. So their relationship is just as adorable as all get out, but it has as much depth and reality as Mario and Princess Peach.
I think a story about Mario and Princess Peach in Joseon Korea is just fine, but I wanted more. And really, 24 episodes of cute…someone like Chung Jo, who is actually scrappy and doesn’t always behave well and has no one coming to her rescue, is just a breath of fresh air.
she is a sackful of butterflies, all on her own, but she has no faults, no backstory, no depth.
In other words, a Mary Sue. Like the dramabeans podcast says, she’s great on paper (in her character description) but she basically has no function other than to be perfect. Which might be less annoying if she was played by an actress who could give her some nuance or depth.
And this has to be the first time ever that I’ve liked a second lead girl more than the actual lead, which is surprising because LYB annoyed the hell out of me in Nice Guy. But she’s a good actress, and she worked the hell out of her role – I’ll look forward to seeing her play lead in something one day.
I agree with your assessment of the two romances. We finally have the makings of a strong and confident k-drama female lead and yet she is given no substance. I have nothing against Suzy but with her performance (plus the poor writing, plus the poor directing), Yeowool is nothing more than a cute girl. I wanted a mature character with her own complexities. I am also not convinced that she is someone who has wielded a sword since a very young age. I think that an older and more experienced actress should have been cast for the role. Perhaps a different actress could have done more with the little that she was given.
the writers could not make her more complex, she can barely handle the cute as it is. Its a shame too, I hope that they think half the audience skipping out was worth it. All the real time rating spikes are all in SG scenes with the other actors none are with her. This is the last time I will watch anything with her in it, if her acting with SG could not make me like her no one else can, LOL. I hope he appreciates me putting up with her for him.
Ladies! I think, Yeol Wol has lots of faults. She is disobedient, can’t sew, and, the worst of all, can’t control a loud tummy. 😀
WOW such a rebel!lol
they just stare at each other…
*imagining me at suzy’s place*
Only 1 word to describe the GFB OTP – cute. Nothing more, nothing less. Throughout the drama I was far more invested in the few scenes between Kang Chi and Lee Soon Shin.
How I wished the writer wrote less characters and side stories and devote her efforts to provide fuller and more layered characterisations for the main leads and villians. The drama could have been so much more than a drama that tries to touch on everything but does not go deep enough in any of the plot points or characters to develop a meaningful and heartrending story of a half man half beast on his journey to be a complete human.
Oh, so this is the bed scene? Mwa ha ha! But it looks so sweet, yes, but just that – disney-sweet 🙂
After watching 20 episodes of this drama, I can’t imagine anyone else other than LSG and Suzy acting as the Kangdam couple. They are just so freaking cute and adorable!
The problem with this couple is that theres no chemistry due to the age difference! It`s so obvious, Lee Seunggi has this brotherly relationship with Suzy and can`t get over that , and Suzy looks at him with certain respect that just makes things awkward!
I never saw them as couple more as brother and sister, and every time there was even hint of romance i would feel uncomfortable!
klio – I don’t even know if it’s the age gap that are to blame. I mean, IU (who is only a year older than Suzy) was doing pretty decently chemistry-wise with Jo Jong Suk in You’re The Best Lee Soon-shin, and they have a thirteen-year age gap.
Lol, I was just thinking that JJS and IU lacked chemistry and they look like siblings. Actually stopped watching the drama for a few weeks already, quite boring to me. On the other hand, I just love the Kangdam couple and can’t get enough of them, love their hugs and kisses, totally believable to me.