This drama just caught up to me and without realizing it tvN drama My Ahjusshi premiered this Wednesday on March 21st taking over the time slot from Mother. The drama comes with a critically acclaimed production team of the writer of Another Oh Hae Young and the PD of Signal and Misaeng. There were some grumblings most notably one of the male leads needing to get switched out after the sexual harassment reckoning came to K-ent, but the final cast is solid with Lee Seon Kyun, IU, Park Ho San, Song Sae Byuk, and Lee Ji Ah. The first episode aired as a 90-minute run to set the stage for this story which looks alternatively dark and slapstick goofy.
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My Ahjusshi long preview:
I’m expecting a good thing from this show… And I’m expecting a good thing from everyone performances. I actually looking forward to IU performances with this meaty roles….
90 freaking minute first episode?! There better be some intensive, immersive world-building going on. TVN seriously needs to chill with these bloated episodes. They seem to think it works well for all their shows. Sorry I just had to rant a bit.
Anyway I hope the writing is good and I really hope IU took acting classes and stepped up her acting for this role.
Ok I just saw it has positive netizen feedback about the acting, story and even the extended run time (thank God) for the premiere episode. Good to hear and I hope it’s as good as they are saying.
Oh, really, they got good feedback on the story and everything? Thank goodness! It must have been one heck of a scramble this past month trying to reshoot all of Oh Dal-su scenes with the new actor and getting this first episode to air without delay. Hope it’s smooth sailing from now. Anyone know how they did ratings-wise?
@KS I know that bastard just lives to make things hard for people it seems. I was rooting for the cast and crew because I knew it must have been crazy on set.
The first episode rating was 3.9%
You really should learn to watch something first before you criticise it.
I was wrong in my assumptions but I had a reason for my criticisms based on past experiences, its not like I was just being negative cause I felt like it. supposedly the long episode worked this time but it always doesn’t. And I expressed hope that it would turn out OK and thankfully it seems to be the case.
I have zero problems admitting that I was wrong and in this case, I’m HAPPY that so far I was. Can’t wait to watch it!
it was too long,
the story is good but I still don’t think it need 90 minutes,
they can stop at 60 or 45 and it still feel the same,
wait, no,
with 90 minutes, it seems like they progress better but it because it longer.
It’s like you praise a drama for good performances in 3 ep therefore just mediocre,
IU isn’t bad but this 90 is kind of manipulative move to get good review
I hope it’s just the first episode… Please don’t be like Prison Playbook… It’s tiring
I love prison playbook but never has the urge to rewatch it again
Another hit for this director!
It needed the whole 90 minutes tbh there was a lot of plot to cover and I really enjoyed ep1……it’s dark and gloomy but has super good performances and became a bit of a thriller towards the end.
I need to check this out
I need to watch this
I thoroughly enjoyed the first episode, it didn’t seem like 90mins at all. IU did a great job in expressing her character even with minimal lines. Her expressions were great. The story setup is good too. Looking forward to ep 2.
I agree!
yes IU was amazing the scenes with her and her grandma made me cry they were so beautiful and the lack of BG score/OST in the super sad scenes made it even more poignant….and the scene where that dude beat her up made me get goosebumps it was terrifying
UI is so so good here. Actually I know she will act with solid performance with this director and writers… But she is really exceed my expectation. She remind me abit Of SJK in Innocent man but with different approach. As if she is possessed by some dark aura and unable to escape. Not every actor can pull it off unless you have talent. She is also give depth to her character. Just wait and see how consistent she can pull it off before might be the transformation of her character come. I think she won’t be the main focus but our ajusshi. The acting is very solid so far… Please more our ajusshi Lee Sun Kyun.
director really is the main feelings in the drama,
just hope the writer is good and not stumbling in the middle,
the ep is good but with the run time, it feels that every 2nd ep of usual drama is also like this therefore it just okay
FYI, it’s only the first episode that run for 90 minutes since there are a lot of characters need to introduce. For 2nd episode and so forth, it will be 60 minutes per episode.
Good director, good writing will make actors shine even more. I think the acting was good, based on the first episode, realistic. This is why tvn really is the way to go. IU has a similar character to what Shin Se Kyung had in Black Knight, but she did it so much better, it looked more realistic. I wonder if it’s just the directing or if IU really is better at portraying dark characters like this. Anyway, she’s way better here than in Scarlet Heart: Ryeo and I think it’s definitely because of directing.
Good Directing, writing, and character are just make the path to pull off a good performances much easier. All in all, it mostly the actor ability and effort. Also, IU has alot to prove, so she is working hard.
I won’t imagine Im SHi Wan who is staring in Misaeng, can pull off this kind of performance.
I think Im Shi Wan could pull of a good performance with a character like that with this director. The writer had IU in her mind and her life story is a little similar to IU’s own life so a good character also plays a big role aside from direction and her working hard on this, something that Hyeri and Suzy are having a hard time to do..
It’s the likes of Lee Min Hoo and Lee Jong Suk who would never be able to pull off characters like that.
@missjb – you sound like someone who didn’t watch Misaeng.
Im Shi Wan was equally non-verbal there as IU is here, most of their emoting was done through their body language and eyes even if his character was not so cynical/dead inside as hers is.
When I watched The Attorney where I saw Im Shi Wan for the first time, I thought his acting was impressive in that movie. I was even really surprised that he was originally in a boy band. Like EXO’s DO, he is able to act with his eyes. I liked IU in Dream High and Producer, not so much in her other dramas….. she does well in melancholy roles maybe?
IU was good even in scarlet heart except few scenes with younger actors. But she was really good opposite the characters of lady oh wang so king taejo wang wook and even kang hanas character. Put her on screen with inexperienced actors she will mess up. That is why she had praises and critics for her performance.she is not that experienced enough to lead the younger actors at least till now.she is still learning. Actually directing in scarlet was awesome .it was EDITING that was horrible. it ruined many characters. If you compare to original Wang so hae soo baek ah and woo hee and wang wook to some extent all these characters were butchered and ruined but lee joon gi and kang ha neul pulled it off. Nam joo hyuk and woo hee could not pull it off and IU was hanging in the middle.
The directing in Scarlet Heart was the thing responsible for those weird excessive closeups and IU’s constantly surprised look, Kim Kyu Tae is not off the hook for that.
Well in a sense may be you are right but the actors playing Wang so, Wang so’s mother,wang wook did wonders with those close ups.ji mong and yeonhwa and yo did them justice. Guess IU is still not ready for close ups. His only fault was giving close up shots to IU and few other young actors
The close-up shots were horribly framed, I remember one of Kang Haneul where the camera did this weird wobbly zoom before zooming in even tighter lol.
I really don’t think IU having closeups was an issue but the way she was directed made it one. There’s no other reason why she should be fine in Producer where 50 percent of her role was spent in closeups and emoting through her eyes, and so bad as cutsey Hae Soo (though she did nail episode 11).
Well may be but after ep 11 even her close up shots were good for me. I think she needed time to adjust herself to closeups.In producers it was different.they were not directly in your face like scarlet and because she had to consistently show her cold nature but scarlet had to be free flowing emotions raw emotions. Still i think she is better off opposite experienced seniors than newbies. Well I remember the scene of wook with king it was supposed to be serpious but I found it funny. May be Kim kyun tae sometimes gave the work to his newbie assistants and was being lazy by not monitoring them??
It’s really good so far, the 90 minutes just went by and the acting is solid throughout.
IU is really good in her role so far too, and it’s not an easy thing to be good in a role that involves so little speaking and isn’t written like your typical ‘nice girl’ kdrama heroine. She suits these kind of dark roles really well.
But the cast is all great, I love the chemistry between the three brothers and of course, Lee Sun Kyun’s voice.
First episode is good. Glad to see IU finally can get recognition as an actress if she maintains this level of performance. I always know she can deliver if given the right directing. She was fine in Pretty Man (although the story sucks), not bad in Scarlet Heart (the mess was in its directing & writing, not the actors), even her performance in Dream High was acceptable & very pleasing imo ?
I don’t think IU is the best actress out there but she’s quite competent, that is when she’s not being directed incompetently like in Scarlet Heart. She has a feel for emoting non-verbally unlike some other idol-actors.
I don’t think she will be the best, but she will be a decent actress, unlike those who previously commented that she cannot act. IU has her talents, no doubt about that! ??
@candycane – oh yes, she can act, there is no doubt about that. It’s funny that she and Suzy debuted in the same drama and IU still has less acting credits but even her worst performance (Scarlet Heart) is better than Suzy’s best.
@rd and @prettyautumn.. I have watched him in misaeng (With PD Kim Won Suk at the helm) and Triangle, while I agree it’s his best acting in Misaeng, still can’t carrying character with depth.. This kind of character is not easy to pull off… You need sincerity, and understanding character psychics and emotion in your heart. His character in Misaeng is a depress guy who doesn’t always get what he want, but he is unable to pull it off consistently.. He is not there yet…. It will be a long long time before he convince me he has improve alot.
Hmm I never talked about im si wan though. I don’t find him impressive.
@missjb Jang Geu Rae was never supposed to be a dark or jaded character. He was supposed to be an ordinary everyday man who is almost invisible. Then slowly he learns to work for himself and gains more confidence through his work. Misaeng wasn’t just an excellent slice of life but a growth story too. IU is doing well in my Ahjusshi but you’re overestimating her acting skills a little here. I get it, you’re biased and you think IU is great at acting, even more so than Kang Ha Neul lmao. But that’s your own opinion and you’re entitled to that đŸ™‚
@prettyautumn, Well We have different opinion regarding acting so.. I don’t think we will shake hand and become I agree to each other just because I told you so, And you told me so. Let’s agree to disagree. For me IU was totally delivered in emotional scene in that drama. I know she has flaws, but really I have opinion of what I saw And not rely on general opinion.
I have quite alot of performances I think doesn’t deserve a praise but general opinion said so, But I respect that, But I’m also need to express my opinion.
I don’t like dark dramas so I’m not gonna watch this. But hats off to IU man. Seen so much praise about her. She’s already the top female singer, and now she’s on her way to become a top idol actress.
I don’t think IU is an idol. She is a solo singer-songwriter. She has high status in the K-music industry, not an average girl idol can achieve.
I think because of her age and her styling and presentation during her early career, she’s considered an idol, but in her 20s she’s branched off into more of a singer-songwriter-artist direction.
That said, she’s still at the top in a field like k-ent/kpop after a decade, and her music is well liked and acclaimed, clearly there is something of substance there.