I’ll leave it up to the fans of the cable network jTBC drama Her Legend (Her Myth) to convince me otherwise, but holy Batman does this drama look ridiculous and sound equally insane. Cruel City (Heartless City) has already cemented its place as one of the best K-dramas of 2013, so it was with excitement that I looked forward to what jTBC had in store as the follow up drama to take over the CC timeslot. When I heard about the synopsis and saw the casting for Her Legend, my interest dipped dramatically but I still gamely checked out the first two episodes. I found it basically a mash up of all the makjang K-drama tropes presented awkwardly – Choi Jung Won is an orphan taken in by her poor aunt and uncle who has a same-age daughter played by Son Eun Seo, a childless rich woman wants to adopt Choi Jung Won but gets into a car accident and has amnesia, the aunt passes off her own daughter Son Eun Seo as Choi Jung Won and off she goes and is adopted in her place with Choi Jung Won none the wiser, years pass and Son Eun Seo comes back as a trained designer while Choi Jung Won is basically self-taught and sells bags at the market, the two girls end up working closely and getting into tangled love lines with handbag company heir Kim Jung Hoon and the manager of the store Park Yoon Jae. The set-up bores me to death because it involves a clueless Candy heroine who gets her lucky fate stolen by her selfish aunt and cousin, and then constantly gets put down and backstabbed by the cousin who is desperate not to have her identity outed. After watching the first two episodes and pressing delete on this drama’s existence, I would have never even checked back in but for accidentally running across some new episode screencaps and promptly laughing my head off on the “acting” of the four leads. None of them are good actors IMO though serviceable in the past in the right role, but this is some of the worst collective acting by an entire case in recent memory. I have no clue what this drama’s typical overwrought plot has turned into or whether they are being asked to act like they are filming a documentary for a medical condition involving eye-bulging. These pictures are too awesome not to share, with the picture above easily worth a thousand words. Be careful not to be drinking anything you don’t want splashed all over your keyboard and computer when you check out the screencaps. Now I’m curious and actually want to watch this drama for the lulz factor.
Choi Jung Won needs to be careful – my mommy always said my face would freeze like that if I kept making the same expression. On an unrelated note, Choi Jung Won’s “what the fuck is that” face is identical to the one Willow Smith made in that now infamous reaction shot from the Smith family watching Miley Cyrus performing at the VMAs. That was visceral, but to know Choi Jung Won is intentionally making the same expression constantly in this drama amuses me to no end. And leaves me worried about her sanity after this is done.
Kim Jung Hoon is totally doing the eye-bulge as well under his sunglasses. You can totally see it.
Son Eun Seo appears to get a bit of a respite from the constant eye-bulging, probably because she has to alternate with the bitch face look.
I wonder if Choi Jung Won needs a special eye-drop assistant on this drama to keep moisturizing her cornea, because it ain’t healthy for her peepers to be perpetually widened like that. And for something that is actually rather cute and not crazy-face LOL-inducing, apparently there is a princess carry in this drama that doesn’t involve making the eye-bulge crazy face. Score 1 for this drama eschewing the piggyback trope for the lesser K-drama used princess carry. So a question for those watching the drama – what’s in it to keep you hooked? Because so far all I see are bad acting and recycled life-switch story lines. Not to mention Kim Jung Hoon is looking really (REALLY) far gone from his sexy-emo-Prince-Yul days from Goong. He’s about thisclose to hitting ajusshi territory. What a bummer, I have fond memories of emo Prince Yul and his bastard in I Need Romance wasn’t half bad either.
I don’t get why people keep doing this kind of drama when it’s just plain rude for the viewers because it’s like they take them as fools. But then, the ratings are always super duper high because viewers hate it but keep watching while cursing lol. Like Hundred Years Legacy and most recently King’s Family.
Can’t they do a fun family drama a la Unexpected You. It has got to be one my favorite drama because it was hilarious, cute, educational on korean culture and most importantly, full of warmth when it comes to family’s moments. Granted, there is the lost son story but it isn’t that important. There is no rich/poor division and the one supposed to be bad characters like the youngest sister in law and mother in law aren’t that evil because you understand their frustrations and anger.
Anyway, I’m so bored dramawise. Except for Master’s sun and Good Doctor, I had nothing to watch so I ended up watching French and American TV shows lol.
“Can’t they do a fun family drama a la Unexpected You. It has got to be one my favorite drama because it was hilarious, cute, educational on korean culture and most importantly, full of warmth when it comes to family’s moments. Granted, there is the lost son story but it isn’t that important.”
I’ve been looking for a family drama like this full if warmth but not too much crazy drama. I’m watching Can You Hear My Heart right now and it definitely has so much warmth and love between family and the 2 leads (oh gosh they are PRECIOUS together) but the drama can be too much! It’s still got me wrapped around it’s adorable finger but I would prefer a drama like you suggested.
Then, you should watch it ! This is a drama full of “unexpected” moments. Like seriously, after watching so many dramas, you tend to know what’s going to happen, how the characters are going to react and all but this one is just … amazing.
The heroine is hilarious. She is badass and witty and most importantly, she can kill you with a stare lol. Her husband is so sweet (because of the drama’s popularity, his character has been nicknamed the nation’s son in law and it’s no wonder because he is perfect with his wife AND her family)
The other families are great and hilarious too. In most family dramas, there are a lot of characters and families so you feel the urge to skip it sometimes but this one, all of them are perfect. Of course, they’ve got their moments of flaws and all but YOU UNDERSTAND WHY. You are not “WTF is she angry ? It’s so makjang !” For example, the heroine’s mother and her mother in law love to clash because they have different opinion when it comes to education. Well, figure that none of them are wrong. It’s up to your own culture and education to decide yourself with whom to side.
Oh and you are going to learn a lot about korean culture. I have never understood the fuzz around the in laws system and all but after watching it, I understand better and most importantly, I finally found out that dramas do not represent the reality of the korean culture lol. You are going to love how they pick fun at dramas where they use and reuse the evil mother in law throwing water in the face of her son’s lover.
Anyway, just watch the first episode ! The grandmother can seem rude, mean or whatever but really, I can understand her so it’s no big deal plus she isn’t like that after.
What is wrong with the king’s family? One had to understand that people watch a tv show mostly because the actors and actresses in that show not the overall quality. Good doctor? It bores me even my favorite actress moon chae won is in it. I have to give it up because i think those situations with those children aren’t even seam real.
But it’s kind of stupid to watch tv show mostly because of the actors/actresses and not the overall quality. I wouldn’t watch a drama with a bad plot even if my favorite actors were in there !
King’s Family is good for the main couple’s loveline but the mother’s favoritism toward her own daughters is just WTF. I read that viewers hate it but still watch it (as usual with full of makjang dramas.)
I liked Good Doctor but I have to admit I am waiting for the drama to end to watch all the episodes. I like Si On’s portrayal of autism but the political aspect of the show kind of bore me even though I like political stuff a la Daemul.
I searched your comment so hard because I wanted to apologize for what I said about King’s Family. Well, except the whole “mother favoritism toward her own children” because the heck it’s true.
But really, I finished episode 6, and although there are some parts which I skip (evil mother and older sister), it’s ooooooooooooo good. The OTP is just freakin’ cute and they can act. I swear that new actor is going to get a huge fanbase after the drama because he is hella fine and he has charisma which is really great for his character.
I want to pull some hair because of the way Hobaek is treated but overall, I’m quite satisfied and I can’t help but giggle to the father’s love for his son. A rich chaebol being nice and loving to his son is a big thump up lol. Oh and the father of the king family is always gold. He can be passive but when he has to step up, he does.
Ms Koala, you seriously should have put that spit warning front and centre in big bold font. I now have a very sticky keyboard.
But thanks for making me laugh so hard my belly hurts. 😀
Eye popping contest?
I’m with you, saw 2 eps and never looked back. Wonderful mama is better then this!
Princess carry is sooooo romantic than the piggyback ride….I wonder why it’s so rare in kdramas……
becos it’s more taxing to the actor if they’re not fit (based on some BTS i saw)
Let’s be honest, how many actors don’t have a six pack/aren’t fit?
Well, at least it’s not Heirs…
That is her signature face. In everything she has ever done.
I cannot watch this one, but I did enjoy the Stars Falling despite her acting. Then again, we go to see a LOT of Kim Ji-hoon in that series, too.
Loved stars falling but mainly bc of Kim ji hoon and the precious children. Baby Nami especially reminded me of my baby nephew! She was kind of annoying it.
And WTF I was reading all these submissions on kdrama confessions saying this drama was good and like old school kdramas…
She was the main reason I am not watching this drama. The perpetually surprised/shocked face leads to a question of her comprehension and mental abilities.
I don’t know who is worse, she or the actress in WAY.
Well, what can I say? The wisdom of Kdrama is like, when someone is obviously your daughter, chance is, it takes 17 episodes to discover it. 😀
I don’t get why people are still writing and companies still doing these kind of dramas. And it’s such a weak drama after Cruel City. I mean seriously it’s a joke!
I was checking it out for the sake of Kim Jung Hoon because the last time I watched and liked him was (sadly) in Goong. But here he just looks like a mean schoolboy. I appreciate that he tries to play different types of roles but I still like him more when he is 2nd lead who is always more soft as a male character. It fits him more.
Overall it’s a insane and boring drama I dropped after a couple episodes.
I’m so excited to watch Cruel City! I’ve been hearing so many accolades about it. I have to finish Can You Hear my Heart and History of a Salaryman first though. My kdrama queue is getting too long and is starting to give me anxiety LOL..
Oh how you make me laugh, ms koala. Your posts always make my day 😀
I don’t mean to offend, and it may be because of their bug-eyed tendencies, but I can’t really tell the two female leads apart in any of the screen caps. :/
Now I want to check out the show to make sense of these pictures lol.
Lol at those pictures. FYI Willow Smith reaction was from the Lady Gaga performance and not Miley’s ^_^
I tried watching this drama. Really but gave up after the 3rd episode. The eye bulging scenes were disturbing. Lol. Why do they have to do that???
I cannot stand the 2 female leads in this drama. I don’t know why I keep watching it though. Maybe I just want to support JTCB for giving us viewers the AWESOME Cruel City and my boy PAK SA!!!!
LOL Koala I know where to give the best Kdrama award for the last years, it will be “Cruel City” without question but I am not sure where to give the eye bulging award for season 2012-13. “Glass Mask” OR “Her Legend”.I am closer to Glass Mask though.After all I endured it for 32 epis out 122 episodes.With ‘Her Legend” I was done at episode 6.
The only reason why I kept watching this show.
I loved the second male leads eyebrows ☺ am not kidding, but I quit after 10. My love for someone’s facial features can only take to soo far.
By the way did anyone else lol at the new way to “turn off” your phone this drama used? Open the sink faucet, and throw your phone into water!!!
MARId Haha ,and i believed i was done with this drama after ep.6 .I am going to watch it just to see the scene with the new “how to turn off your phone” way.Haha ,it would help me a lot if you told me which episode should I watch.LoL
It’s actually pretty cute starting episode 5; the leads have good chemistry despite the subpar acting, and this is the first character of Kim Jung Hoon’s that I’ve liked. The makjang stuff is also admittedly addicting.
I watched this show on auto pilot usually… but 12 episodes in we got a pay off with a revelation of one of the 2 big secrets. Now our candy heroine is able to rest her surprised eye look and step it up to side eye everyone. She has boarded the suspicious bus and isn’t getting off until the end (I hope).
The suspicious bus turned on to Revenge Avenue in episode 12, and in the preview for episode 13 she is wheeling and dealing with *gasp* her secret father (this is not a spoiler).
I’m easy to please when it comes down to makjang and usually see one candy who aspires to be a fashion/jewelry/purse designer, you’ve seen them all.
My question is when will candies stop aspiring to be designers? Why not web developers, local entrepreneurs, librarians, marching band directors?