We’re one week out from the premiere of The Best Lee Soon Shin and I’m getting more and more excited. I always want to like at least one weekend family drama a year because its makes a nice contrast to the sleeker fare of the primetime shows. It’s predecessor My Daughter Seo Young has done such phenomenal ratings and TBLSS will have to suck on an epic scale to not win at least half the number of viewers of MDSY. Starring Jo Jung Seok, IU, Yoo In Na, Go Joo Won, Son Tae Young, Jung Woo, and Lee Ji Hoon, this drama centers on the mother-daughter relationship of the Lee family after the death of the dad. Youngest sister Lee Soon Shin played by IU sets off for Seoul to become an actress and take care of her family, along the way meeting a mentor in Lee Mi Sook as well as a daddy long legs in Jo Jung Seok. The two leads have a significant age difference that both have addressed in interviews. IU says she was the envy of her all female friends and family when they learned she was acting opposite Jo Jung Seok. She finds him very playful and easy to work with, when they talk their age difference just melts away. Jo Jung Seok sheepishly admitted that he’s been accused by his family and friends of being a thief (robbing the cradle with IU) and that his phone is almost broken by the non-stop calls from people wanting to hear all about working with her. Neither knows how their onscreen relationship will develop but the producers have said it will be a very enchanting drama love story. Count me in! When I watched the preview for episode 1, I was also really interested in the relationship between second sister Yoo In Na and Go Joo Won, as well as eldest sister Son Tae Young and Jung Woo. I’m hoping this drama stays as lighthearted as the teasers indicate and avoid the narrative death trap that is weekend family makjang. Continue reading →