I Miss You Drama Korea
Leda Billock
Set in the late 1990s, a group of ajusshi friends make a last-ditch effort to save their cosmetics company by reaching out to the prettiest girl from their high school alums for help. Thus begins project Miss Korea to win the pageant crown and market their brand.
We do start glimpsing something under the surface, however, suggesting that a deeper unrest lies beneath the collected image she projects. One well-concealed complex is her self-consciousness over having a flat chest; it starts out seeming like a minor character tic but may possibly turn out to be more.
her fans-the best in the world
her antis-the worst in the world
her haters-well I have seen others doing that skill acting too
people like me who don't have any interest-sometimes yawn, sometimes laughing cos she's funny, sometimes don't know what to say.
I haven't seen her in anything else, but I am LOVING her in this. It helps that her character is awesome, but she really brings the spunk and the depth to the role. And her chemistry with Lee Seon-kyun is off the hook. Best I've seen all year.
I think it's safe to say this is a VAST improvement over her previous roles, she was mostly good in her Gu Family Book cameo (a first) and has clearly built on that experience - this is the first time I've seen her in a lead role and bringing something other than her looks to the table. The crying faces still look weird, but things can improve.
Oh, I have to warn you that it's likely I can't keep recapping Miss Korea, since I'm doing Star Man. I did want to give everyone the heads up about this show, though, since it seems like a promising drama.
Oh, Javabeans, thank you sooo much for this recap and I completely understand if you can't continue to recap. But, I'd be so over the moon if you do continue, or if anyone else on your team picks it up. Wish you a great holiday.
Does anyone know the name of the song that was playing during the cigarette scene when ji young tells hyung joon that she doesn't know how to smoke and he just stares at her (dreamily? Longingly?)? I've been trying to find it everywhere but haven't managed to do so:(
By the way I hope you continue to recap the show! It was on my radar since its teasers came out but now I am intrigued and will continue watching it. It'd be nice to know your thoughts on it as the series progresses!
I sorta like the darkish vibe this drama gives off. I think it's a kind of story that really could be termed as shallow on the offset, but given the personality makeover (instead of outer beauty) and the shade of melancholy; it gives out different feel.
Oh, I really loved Teacher Jung! I can't tell if it's mostly due to the actor himself or the character...but I feel most invested to him out of the other characters. And I agree that Kim Hyung Joon is a friggin jerk. I don't like him. I see some potential redeeming qualities, and I hope my perception of him changes soon. I find this drama better than You From Another Star, though. I'm watching both, but I can appreciate this one more.
Their flashback reminds me of Architecture 101.. If tht hero went on to spread rumors in his bitterness on seeing the heroine (allegedly) goin to sleep with a popular douche bag.. They do mention here (kiwoo's char does) tht she's dating a college freshman..
I'm so happy to see this on dramabeans. I just watched the first episode and LOVED it. The characters are rich and layered, there's tons of social commentary but the commentary is all rooted in the story, and the heroine is AWESOME but in a very real, believable way. There's something kinda dark & gritty to this show that I find very, very appealing. Oh man, I am hooked. I hope you continue to recap this show (or maybe do baby, dual recaps or something?). I suspect there will be a lot to discuss throughout its run.
Also, I get the feeling that I'll probably want to punch Hyung Joon in the face next episode (based on the comments here), but he and Ji Young have some SERIOUS heat. It's so refreshing after a string of dramas that culminate in chaste frightened rabbit pecks between leads, to see the sparks shoot out of the computer screen during that cigarette tutorial. These two are sex on a stick, I tell you.
I like to think it's because Kdramas are too busy making a point about what pairings society SHOULD find acceptable (mmm, scrawny high school brats... said no one ever) that they forget about the reality of basic male/female tension.
Well said. I just watched episode 2 and noticed that even in the Teacher Jung/Ma Ae-ri salon interaction, sparks were flying. Methinks this show has a great PD who works with his/her actors to explore the characters' basic human wants and needs, which should be a given on any show, but is surprisingly hard to accomplish.
I actually prefer the lead pairing's chemistry in this over Master's Sun. While GHJ & SJS lit up the screen (& were definitely my fave coupling before this), there is something about the grittier tone of this show that frees the actors to actually portray their characters as sexual beings in a realistic way. It's less of a fairy tale than Master's Sun, and that extends to the sexual chemistry of the characters IMO. It just feels more real to me.
Ha..ha.. you're not by any chance talking about the scene in the elevator where LSK's character brazenly removed O Ji Young's badge from her chest, are you? The way he did it, it almost seemed like he was caressing her. I wonder if that was intentional.
Oh, I'm sure it was intentional! The creative team on this know exactly what they're doing (sausage cigarette, anyone?) Sparks fly every time the leads are near each other. I think the hottest moment for me thus far has been the cigarette sausage tutorial flashback (OMG), but basically anytime those two actors are interacting, fireworks go off somewhere.
I think in Miss K's case, the writing, framing and mostly solid acting helped elevate the chemistry. Like you, I saw chemistry EVERYWHERE, especially between gangster-fanatical salon owner (my favorite character thus far) and gangster-sunbae researcher.
yup, that sausage (cheese?) stick was pretty blatant - nothing suggestive about it! And the way she was teasing him at his mom's bath house was coming on pretty strong, too. MS was definitely more in the family-friendly classification slot!
I like the gritty tone of this drama, too. She's a spunky heroine who knows how to put sleazy guys in their place, and who looks after (and towers over!) the younger girls (aww - that mannequin scene!).
But she's got a lot of insecurities and uncertainty - I wonder how much of that Hyung-joon's responsible for? In between the themes of beauty pageants, inner beauty (and world peace), I hope they try and tackle the impact that all this objectification has on womens' self-esteem. But since his company's marketing BB cream cosmetics, maybe there's a limit on how far it will go?
@Thursdaynexxt: That mannequin scene was amazing. I love how much she tries to protect her coworkers. And yet she still has her hangups. It's very human. I mean, what woman (even the most self-actualized, confident woman) doesn't have some insecurities? I'm a big bundle of them, in spite of years of therapy, haha. I think a huge factor though in her insecurity is that she's always gotten by on her looks, literally. It's how she makes a living, it's how she unwinds after a long, soul-crushing day at work (being the center of attention at a club), it's probably how she distracted herself from the loss of her mother as a teenager (by reveling in the attention she got from boys). Of course now, nearing 30, she's probably realizing that she's not going to be the hot young thing forever, she's in a dead-end job with no hope for advancement, few discernible skills, and no real hope for her future. So of course she views the one opportunity that comes her way with trepidation, and it brings to the forefront old insecurities that she's grappled with.
A testament to how magnificently this show is dealing with the complexity of body image in the modern world is that Ji Young's decision to get breast implants can be seen as both empowering and deeply, deeply tragic. Empowering because she is taking a realistic look at the system and choosing to exploit it for what she can, rather than being passively exploited (a la her skeezy elevator boss or even Hyung Joon when he tries to use her to get money for his cosmetics company, with no regard to her personal well-being). Tragic because, good lord, she is a gorgeous, brave, intelligent, spunky woman who has been made to believe that the only way she can succeed in life is to surgically change her body. Then again, given how prevalent plastic surgery is in Korea (and even the US), maybe that's not so far off the mark. Mmm, I love me some sharp, incisive social commentary.
I don't know how far this show will go in its skewering of the image-obsessed culture, but I can't imagine how it could shy away from exploring how the makeup industry plays into that, given its treatment of the themes thus far.
@ rearwindow: maybe it's a testament to my budding love for the show and how well these characters are developing, but when she decided the implants were the way to go, I was ready to grab the screen and yell at her not to do it!! Really looking forward to next week's ep.
LSK could have sexual chemistry with a plank. He's one of those rare actors who could be paired off with any actresses and still make the romance believable. I was rooting for him and Seo Woo in Paju though i know from a moral standpoint of the movie, it was all kinds of wrong.
I can't wait for the story to get well underway. This drama promises to have everything from romance, bromance, melodrama, comedy, tragedy, etc... I hope ratings pick up, too, though it seems like it will have to compete not only with the Star Man drama but also Prime Minister as well.
i think this website's power is underrated. i for once like it very much, but i think a lot of k-drama fans might be influenced to watch this drama if someone in the site's team will keep recaping it..
btw this is not a request but i really wish more people would see how realistic and raw this drama is.. the characters have so much layers and the leads relationship is so complicated and no one is trying to make them picture-perfect.. and the sad truth is cause of the competition in korea, they are failing.. and outside of it the situation isn't better since most kpop fans will watch yoona's drama and miss this one.. :(