Currently airing hit KBS weekend drama My Golden Life reached another milestone this week, and one that hasn’t been touched for three years since early 2014. In the monthly poll of Korean television viewers, My Golden Life was number 1 in the list of Favorite Television Programs and retained that top position for now the second month in a row. Not since Empress Ki held the top spot in this poll in March and April of 2014 has a K-drama been number 1 and repeated in successive months.
My Golden Life is also on track to become screenwriter So Hyun Kyung‘s highest rated drama since My Daughter Seo Young and even earlier with Brilliant Legacy/Shining Inheritance. So Hyun Kyung is basically golden (pun intended) when it comes to big three weekend drama slots, and less so with prime time such as Two Weeks, Prosecutor Princess, and 49 Days. I really do love her dramas and hate that my aversion to the male lead is keeping me away from what domestic viewers is decreeing as the K-drama of the year to watch.
I really do like this drama, but I think I enjoyed Father is Strange more. It was LOL funny, heartfelt, and no annoying characters.
Never a doubt…people love it and everyone lnvolved with this great drama have contributed …A dream cast of wonderful talented humble actors and writers.
I’d like to say up front that I’m not familiar with Koreans drama ranking system. I honestly don’t understand the popularity of this show. That long lost daughter, chaebol heir storyline is so stale, it couldn’t get any more moldy for me. Does anyone else think there were many things that didn’t make sense? Or is it just me? Because how can an older brother not recognize his own sister when the parents bring home some random girl to replace Jisoo. I stopped watching after six episodes. The rich noble guy was trying too hard to be cute. The female lead’s acting was meh, don’t understand the hype. The hard working father, while I sympathize with him, was constantly moping. That Chaebol family and the proper and not proper behavior they expect of their children, was so laughably artificial. I wished they would try to be more creative but perhaps the chaebol idea appeals to the Korean audience. I’d rather rewatch Father Is Strange and What Happens To My Family. At least the writers in those two shows made their stories relatable and fresh.
I definitely agree that Father is Strange and What Happened to My Family are better dramas but this is a smash hit for the same reason that mediocre procedurals are a hit on US tv – there is just enough of the familiar to keep people’s interest.
It doesn’t help that the male lead is who he is – over in Hollywood, sexual predators are facing actual professional consequences over their actions/getting thrown out of productions even when they are Oscatmr winners. Meanwhile,here Park Shi Hoo gets handed a role in a KBS weekend family drama (a guaranteed hit) by a star writer to clean up his image.
Same here. The storyline is so old fashioned I don’t find anything fascinating about it, plus the scandalous male lead puts me right off this long drama.
Park Shi Hoo being given a role in a guaranteed hit (look at the time slot and writer) still disgusts me but I’m really happy for Shin Hye Sun, she’s the central figure of the drama and deserves all the praise and the rise in her profile to leading lady status thanks to this.
Two years ago she was still doing supporting roles in Oh My Ghostess etc, she practically had to beg for an audition for MGL because KBS offered it to an idol first, and now look at her. They certainly wouldn’t have got the same kind of praise or interest if it had been Uee in the role (she got the initial offer) but it does show how hard newer actresses have to work to win roles even over mediocre idols who are no ratings guarantee.
She was tremendous in Forest of Secrets. However, I have never watched anything with the odious Park Shi Hoo in it, and I never will.
Park Shi Hoo persistently begged and landed the role. His role of Choi Do Kyung is not instantly likable either and his character got a lot of flak before hitting 31 episode. The makjang troupe are discarded as soon as they are introduced. The pacing is fast, acting superb and you’d know all that if you actually do watch the show. People might much prefer this or that, but this one’s a hit.
And Presumption of Innocence is important part of law, without it what you have is a witch hunt of sorts. Don’t compare this to Hollywood. They all knew, kept quite….men, women alike to keep their bank account loaded. I am glad people spoke up but the guy in question will live in his million dollar home and better than the rest of us mere mortal without even a trial. That’s the sad part. Even Meryl Streep and Leonardo DiCaprio gave Polanski a standing ovation and he is supposed to be in jail. So, Hollywood is not leading a revolution, it’ll pass and things will go back to the same way with some minor changes here and there.
The law isn’t stacked in favour of victims, no wonder the defenders of rapists love to talk about ‘presumption of innocence’ and ‘due process’ which is owed to them by law….but public opinion owes them no such thing, and public opinion is what entertainment careers in Korea and elsewhere are based on.
Maybe those people will never go to prison despite boasting on tape about what they like to do to women, likewise those other men who admitted to their actions on being confronted. But that doesn’t make them innocent even if people would rather attack the women involved, and suffering real professional consequences for their behaviour seems to be the only thing that gets through to such men. But of course some people see just desserts as a ‘witch hunt’.
Darling, what you suggest, think carefully what it’d mean for every case out there. You are assuming, false accusations are myth of sorts. The burden is on prosecution for a reason. As for, public opinion, its fickle. Case in point Park Shi Hoo, himself. I simply do not know enough real information to condemn either him or her guilty.
I totally agree with you @Gem , it’ll pass and things will go the same way, even the suicide of the ShiNee’s member will not change the “slave contracts” in Kpop industry . Money is all that matters. “sexual assault” is just “le sujet du jour” unfortunatelly ! People still watching “Gone with the Wind” even if CGable was involved in a case, the same with M Brando
This drama is fast and has that penultimate feelings every week.
Father is strange is slow and cute but can’t beat my golden life addictive tone.
MGL is well deserved winner.
okayy..it pique my interest now
I’m happy for the majority of the cast and crew, but it makes me so mad that psh gets this kind of undeserved win. ?
Same. It’s extremely disappointing how forgiving the general society is when it comes to men.
I prefer Father Is Strange 100%
FIS, all actors did their parts well.
MGL, PSH is trying too hard, and seeing his face reminds me of his scandal. If the scandal is true, then he does not deserve to be given this “guaranteed hit”.
I’m happy for this win Park Shi Hope is having. The guy literally had the most screen time in the show along with the female lead but people keep saying th success is because of everyone else except for him. Please! The guy has near perfect delivery on his facial expressions. The scene he hands in his letter of resignation was great acting and the scene where JiAn confesses to him at the bus stop was good acting on both parties.
I think Father is Strange is probably the better drama but I am more addicted to MGL. Bummed it won’t be airing this coming weekend.
I am truly sad for the lead actor. One mistake in life should not determine the rest of his life. I will personally award him the 2017 Korean actor of the year. The cast is just a group of talented actors. I agree with the Korean reviews of this show, a rare occurrence.?
I just can’t understand why some people can’t forgive and give the man a second chance.i have decided to check out that 2013 scandal again and i think that nothing has really been proven against PSH.
I am enjoying My Golden Life. The entire cast is amazing and this, of course include PSH who portrays the role of a chaebol so perfectly.
Anyway, this is a sweet revenge for him against all his detractors who don’t seem to stop or just don’t want to move on. Just don’t watch the drama if you don’t want to see his face. Anyway there are millions out there who support this drama and the cast. Ratings speak for themselves for MGL and its actors.