*Please note this blog contains
spoilers for episodes 1 and 2.
Global sci-fi fans should tune in
and check out new TV series W—Two Worlds. Storytelling genres like science fiction,
speculative fiction, and slipstream fiction can cross language and cultural barriers: exploring meta concepts, wild ideas, and out-there
possibilities in engaging, intelligent, and emotive ways.
The concept of the imagination fascinates me, and I think in the future there will be a test to measure
a person’s imaginative capabilities. For a long time I didn't understand people who said they couldn’t “get into” a strange story. Once
a friend tried to explain what happens when she reads a fantasy or futuristic novel: how the words on the page don’t create a clear picture, let alone a
place that feels real in her mind.
Loving the lighting/set design/cinematography
in both worlds.
For me, and many fans of strange
stories, what’s happening in a book, television, or film setting is as real as
what’s happening somewhere in the world. I’ve been like that since I was a kid, while mistakenly assuming everyone around me is having a similar involvement with storytelling. To only be able to truly experience the place you live and the life you have is a limitation I can’t comprehend.
When the female lead recognizes a character
from the webtoon, this happens.
W—Two Worlds extrapolates that
feeling. For a while, the audience isn’t clear who in the show is “real”
and who is fictitious. Viewers are presented with two narratives to follow
(albeit one more dramatic than the other) and before long we’re invested in the
lives of the male and female leads. By the time it’s revealed one is a
webtoon character, this supposedly important fact seems oddly irrelevant.
That moment when you realize your life is now surreal af.
The Korean series screens two
episodes a week until September. More meta elements are mixed with intrigue,
romance, humor, tragedy, and comedy. To heavily summarize the plot, our female
lead Oh Yeon Joo is in the real world, and our male lead Kang Chul is the main character in a bestselling webtoon created by her father. When dad decides
to kill off the webtoon’s famous hero, Oh Yeon Joo is pulled into the story to
stop his death. This places father and daughter at loggerheads, as dad is
determined to exterminate the imaginary Kang Chul one way or another.
#writerGodcomplex
Our female lead Oh Yeon Joo is a bit
of a ditz. Strange, considering she’s a surgeon? But her confusion on entering
the webtoon world is well played. What could be more traumatizing for a
pragmatic person than this experience?
Korean TV often utilizes the linear elements of a location.
At heart she’s a good person, and actress Han Hyo Joo conveys empathy and kindness with her performance. The character’s calling is to save
lives even if the blood on her hands came from an illustration program. I love
that she’s a terrible liar, and not really creative, so having to come up with
plot points and dialogue on the spot inside the webtoon isn’t working out
so well for her…
The supporting cast are fab.
When you're the only one outside the time lapse.
Kang Chul is a larger-than-life
webtoon character: a teen Olympic gold medalist framed for murder, who grows up
to become a rich tech genius slash playboy. Actor Lee Jong Suk is considered
beautiful by Korean standards, in that he has very white skin and is tall and
slender (previously a model). He’s got the right look and onscreen charisma for the
role, but he’s also a great actor, and manages to humanize this exaggerated
ideal.
Surgery, webtoon-style.
Obviously we’re on the road to
romance, but at this point Kang Chul treats Oh Yeon Joo as more of a puzzle
piece he needs to see the whole picture, and she treats him more like an idea
she’s protecting, rather than a person. It’s a nice setup.
Girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do
(to get out of a webtoon).
Dad is like a wrathful Old Testament
God here, determined to wipe out the character he’s created. For some reason he
believes Kang Chul is “eating him up” and wants to destroy him first. You get
the feeling dad’s been in the webtoon as well, and knows more than he’s
letting on.
Webtoon workplace worries.
The first two episodes are fabulous
at world building, partly because they abide by the created rules, and also
because the writer has thought a lot about "reality" within the webtoon, and how the imagined world would interact with the "real" world. Maintaining
that framework is so important with fantastical narrative, and writer Song Jae Jung's quality world building stands out.
I think the show won me over when Oh Yeon Joo was sitting at a bus stop in the webtoon for half an hour, while months went by high speed in the webtoon. The story was moving to the next plot point (i.e.
after Kang Chul recovered from the latest assassination attempt). So while it
had been months for our male lead, only thirty minutes passed for our female lead, adding an unexpectedly comedic element.
Spinning watch hands are never a good sign.
Omg awkward.
The edits between the webtoon and
the real world in the show are well done. The music fits nicely, and the
cinematography is as lovely as ever. (Korean television takes a lot of care
with the technical aspects.) I’m expecting to see an offshoot W manga hit
shelves in the next few months—why waste the fabulous illustrations?
Very cool.
Only two episodes in and the show sets up many interesting
ideas to mull over. Why is dad determined to kill
Kang Chul? How come Oh Yeon Joo is the one crossing over? Is the webtoon like a
storytelling version of AI, what with rewriting itself in the computer to keep
the webtoon's lead character alive? Most of all—can Kang Chul cross into reality? And if he
comes to Oh Yeon Joo’s world, is he officially “real”?
Or is he already real enough?
Yes, he's on a newsreel being watched
in a webtoon inside a tv show. Any questions?
“You wanna fight the devil, start by cleaning your ****ing act up.”
*References events in episodes 1-4.
As neither a fan of The Walking Dead or horror in general, I'm probably not the target market for this series. But viewing a show that’s a departure from your usual tastes—albeit during the daylight hours—can be an interesting, thought-provoking experience.
My "scary" viewing preferences lean toward mixed bag supernatural reluctant hero tales, over the more encompassing darkness commonly found in the horror genre: shows like Buffy TVS and Supernatural, where bouts of humor and friends/family-gotcha-back moments balance out the dark, gory elements.
While still a reluctant hero story at heart, Outcast is more in the vein of traditional horror because our lead is living in a state of despair. Demonic forces have screwed with his life to the point where he doesn't really have one: Kyle Barnes is barely functioning.
From the beginning the soaring, unsettling opening credits set the tone (maybe drone work?) with occasional upside down visuals and a cold blue cast.
Sound editing is important in shows that unnerve viewers. Horror and thrillers rely on the use of silence as much as sharp, sudden sounds; even commonplace audio like footsteps or slamming doors become unnatural in the hands of a good sound editor. Outcast combines haunting melodies with jarring amplified noises and oddly placed silences.
Set-wise, washed out interiors and worn, dirty surfaces make it seem as if the town is wasting away, quietly rotting behind closed doors. Even the lives of the normal couples feel unsettling and claustrophobic. A lot of scenes take place indoors or at night. The lighting is very limited, in a carefully planned way. Even on a sunny day that shadowy sense of foreboding still hovers, as if sunshine isn't enough to penetrate the darkness at the heart of this town.
Every Man Kyle Barnes is played by Patrick Fugit, who exudes a desperate understated intensity. Turns out our lead attracts demonic forces who possess the people around him, notably the women in his life.
The role of women in this series is probably the least appealing element. Most only exist in the story as extensions, or in relation to, the male characters, and are generally victims in some way.
Kyle's mother's state, whether in the past or the present, disturbs her son: possessed or vegetative, she is still trapped in her body and unable to communicate. Flashbacks return us to the lead’s childhood quite often, and flashbacks are also used in other parts of the narrative. (Quite a popular storytelling tool with the writer’s here.)
Kyle is helped by the Reverend, and this brings up an interesting point in the show's world building: humanities inability to accept the supernatural is what really allows demonic forces to gain a foothold. How can our leads fight a war that most of the town refuses to acknowledge? Faith is a weapon for one side, while denial aids the other.
And of course the characters battle their inner demons—pun intended—as much the supernatural variety.
Just a few episodes in, and great guest stars like JR Bourne (Teen Wolf, Arrow, Stargate, UnREAL, basically an endless CV of awesome shows) and Scott Porter (Hart of Dixie, The Good Wife, Friday Night Lights) start appearing. Brent Spiner rocks up as the nefarious character, playing the part with relish.
Outcast leaves an overall impression of decay and despair, with psychological horror prevailing over physical horror, although there are gore porn elements, including mutilated animal parts, possessed people, and dead ones. Everything is shadowed, including the hearts and minds of the town.
Kyle and Reverend Anderson have their work cut out for them, but the Reverend recognizes Kyle as a weapon capable of pushing back at the dark, and Kyle now knows the supernatural entities have a reason for their fascination with his life—one he's determined to discover.
The real question is, can Kyle and the Rev keep it together long enough to push the enemy back? Exorcism seems to bring out impulse control issues; both are coming unglued at the psychological seams, and the pressure will only intensify.
When the music school losers turn out to be both talented and cool af.
More and more people are enjoying Korean television shows, even those who claim they hate to read while watching TV, because drama this good defies language and cultural barriers. Watch a few episodes and you'll understand why such incredibly entertaining small screen offerings are winning over a global audience.
As a recent convert I went into the experience completely unprepared for the gems ahead. I'm not going to attempt to break down the types of storytelling forms and the genres because this isn't my field of expertise, and there are many great websites and online communities dedicated to Korean television, including fantastic recappers who will tell you stuff like whether the story is from a Japanese manga, or the past history of the cast and writers. My advice? If you watch a K-show, read a recap after each episode.
The spirits freak me out. (Yes, I am a woose.)
What makes Korean television so great? For me it's the no-holds-barred storytelling. Dramas can also include a lot of comedy and zaniness, so you're laughing then suddenly crying. I kept thinking of Joss Whedon, who has a similar storytelling style, in that amongst all the fun and jokes are incredibly complex emotional subtexts keeping viewers enthralled.
The surprise hug from behind is a popular go-to. #cuteas
Korean shows only run for one season, meaning no filler moments; each series packs a punch from day one, so skipping an ep isn't an option. Recurring themes include redemption, character evolution, and discovery of self-worth. People in Korean dramas are forced to face who they are, and address how they interact with the world, as well as how they want to live their lives from this point. To do well in a K-drama, a character HAS to be brave.
Love is another key element, and the emotion is treated with a level of respect that in itself is fascinating. Overall Korean television has limited sexual content, relying a lot on nuance, in terms of conveying complex psyches. Characters in Korean dramas feel deeply; they don't dismiss emotional intensity, and if a person is suffering because of love, the plot takes it seriously. Narrative-wise, self-sacrifice is a common form of emotional expression. Friendship is important, and the actions of loved ones usually move parts of the narrative forward—or backward. #interferingiscaring
One piggyback, and you're on the road to OTP.
I also like how the plot can present a character who appears childish and annoying in the first few episodes, only to unravel their psyche and reveal the influence of past traumas on their current behavior. Never judge a Korean drama on the first few episodes; if you're in, go the distance. The way the story zips from lighthearted fare to downright intense drama within an ep or two will floor you. Unlike Western shows that prefer to set a specific tone from day one, Korean television dramas often run the whole gambit. A series can feels like you're watching seven different styles of storytelling in one big hit.
Visually they're quite sophisticated, often with incredibly beautiful framing. Music plays a big part in setting the mood; don't expect subtle background sounds.
Expect heartbreak. And tears. (And not just onscreen.)
I get annoyed when people say these are soapies because no Western soap could hope to compare to a Korean drama. Emotionally it's like comparing 2D television with 3D cinema - storytelling with a whole other dimension.
On a cultural level, there can be slightly subversive elements at work. A number of plots constantly reference status and wealth, hinting that over-valuing these may close the door to potential happiness. Choosing love over arranged marriages is big. Walking a fine line that includes respecting older family members while not allowing them to completely control your future is another common thread.
Aside from that - Korean shows are fun! They're quirky, intense, adrenalized emotional rides that don't shy from the tough stuff. Alongside difficult personal relationships (whether familial or romantic), the PTSD and the grief, kookiness abounds, including a penchant for talking to stuffed toys, hilarious drunk scenes, and God forbid, couples clothing.
Who needs an inner monologue when the characters regularly talk to stuffed animals? #interestingtrope
With the single season approach, there are too many shows to choose from. I watched a few on Netflix (but keep in mind the selection differs between countries). Certain free to air channels offer Korean dramas, and in the US DramaFever is a pretty big provider. Amazon and iTunes are in on the trend, too.
Looking to dip your toe in the vast K-drama pool? Here's a breakdown of the ones I've seen so far that stuck in my mind. (No procedural or medical dramas though: turns out I don't like them in any language.) The titles can be translated differently, so they might be online under other names as well. The actor's names are sourced from web listings, so apologies for any spelling issues or incorrect usage.
Tomorrow's Cantabile
Oh, this one is sweet. I'd recommend it for teenagers as well as adults. The story focuses on difficult musical genius Cha Yoo-Jin (Joo Won), and his next door neighbor Seoul Nae-Il (Shim Eun-kyung). She's a childish kook who starts crushing on him and shamelessly follows the guy around.
When a new conductor comes to their music college he creates S Orchestra, made up of the school's "losers". Soon the losers and Seoul Nae-Il decide Cha Yoo-Jin is their bestie, despite his constant grumbling, and once he has friends, everything begins to change.
When people just decide they're your best friends.
What do I love? How about the revelation Cha Yoo-Jin's aloofness and perfectionism, and Seoul Nae-Il's childishness and refusal to have serious piano lessons, are the result of PTSD? Both suffered traumatic events during childhood. The characters are forced to decide if they're brave enough to face their fears and move forward—on a lot of fronts. The show starts out so goofy I almost stopped watching, but I'm glad I didn't because it fast became a fave.
Learning to play well with others has more than one meaning here.
A classical soundtrack is obviously par for the course. Voiceovers that explain what the composer was trying to convey with the piece, sometimes outlining what was happening in the composer's life at the time, are a beautiful touch. During music scenes the show occasionally cuts to shots of the person playing in a field, a visual representation of the way music can transport the consciousness to a blissful place.
Learning by ear.
Best Scene: Seoul Nae-Il disappears after Cha Yoo-Jin's concert, and everyone thinks it's because his ex showed up. When he finds her this assumption proves completely wrong and the audience finally understands how deeply the two characters are affected, if not consumed, by the music they create.
Best Talent: Joo Won really carries the show as the lead; his simmering performance is incredible. But Kyung Pyo-Go as Yoo Il Rak deserves kudos too for his bubbly character as the electric violin rebel who appoints himself the lead's best friend. (And if you're wondering why he looks familiar, yes it is one of the guys from Flower Boys Next Door.)
Beating Again
Also know as Falling For Innocence, this wasn't what I expected. The story sees a guy receive a heart transplant and begin to change, falling for a woman who turns out to be the donor's lover.
That tension when the lifelong friend makes a play, crashes 'n burns, and then moves to Resentment Town #niceguysyndrome
Sounds like a rom-com, but this proved heavy with intense drama (in a good way). The lead Kang Min-ho, played by Jung Kyung-Ho, is a ruthless businessman known as The Serial Killer: he's always "killing" companies to accumulate wealth. End game? To destroy his uncle, who grabbed control of the family firm years ago. Ruining the company is paramount as he only has a month to live due to a heart condition.
Man on a mission. #revengeisamotivator
The lead here, isn't cold, he really is evil. Slick af, with a cruel sense of humor, this guy is intense. His interactions with Kim Soon-jung, played by Kim So-yeon, begin when she's the only one to stand up to him.
This is a karma sucks kind of storyline. After an unexpected last minute heart transplant, the lead is slowly coerced by Kim Soon-jung, now his secretary, into seeing his father's factory workers as family, and reluctantly begins to care.
Everything unravels when he decides to go all in and try and save the company he was bent on destroying. As his uncle warned him, in big business the altruistic are bound to lose. On the personal front his shifting focus to Kim So-yeon is also fascinating to watch, and brilliantly done.
This recurring setting is a great metaphor 'cause this pair have one hell of a life journey.
Best Scene: Oh, there are so many. Jung Kyung-Ho's charcter finally breaks when it looks like he'll lose the company, and admits he can't complain about the ruthless business practices of his corporate enemy because it feels like he's fighting the past version of himself - and he did so much worse to others. Another heart wrenching moment is when Kang Min-ho and Kim Soon-jung are visited by ghosts of their loved ones.
Best Talent: Kim So-yeon plays her part so well, reserved yet really just trying to survive and keep all the pieces together as life falls apart. Jung Kyung-Ho is a tour de force. His transformation is so incredible it's like he's two different actors, one at the beginning and one at the end. Whether being comedic or dramatic, he burns up the screen and is riveting to watch. I've since caught a few of his shows, and he's become my fave Korean actor.
Personal Taste
Park Kae-in (played by Son ye-jin) crosses of paths with Jeon Jin-ho (played by Boys Over Flowers alumni Lee Min-ho) and it's the pebble that sets off an avalanche. Park Kae-in is a furniture designer living in a house built by her famous architect father. Jeon Jin-ho is a young architect who convinces Park Kae-in to rent him a room when she ends up in dire financial straits. The building, Sanggojae, has never been opened to the public, so living there will help Jeon Jin-ho with an important upcoming contract bid.
She assumes he's gay, and instead of correcting her, he lets the lie stand. Expect fun tropes like interfering best friends, constant misunderstandings, and competing love interests, not to mention a makeover element as much about internal transformation as external.
Aw, these two. #roomies
I love the attention to design and detail. Personal Taste is beautifully filmed, especially the gallery scenes. Most of all I love the reveal partway through, that the kindest, smartest character is gay. When one of the lying, cheating characters starts defaming homosexuals, the script calls out this hypocrisy. Honoring love is a dominant theme in many Korean dramas, and the way this series reiterates love is precious and should always be respected, regardless of gender, is awesome.
The location itself becomes part of the story.
We get to watch our two leads try to disentangle themselves from the lies they've woven, and deal with the fallout from childhood traumas that have negatively impacted their lives. The show is a lot of fun, but you do feel for the leads, who make a right mess of everything.
Number 1 not-yet boyfriend ever. #winning
Best Scene: When Jeon Jin-ho rubs Park Kae-in's belly while she's horribly sick with her period, and sings her a nursery rhyme, the sweetness factor is off the charts. Choosing to deliver updates on Park Kae-in's emotional state in the form of metaphorical weather forecast voiceovers is a nice touch.
Best Talent: While both leads are great, I really enjoyed Ryu Seung-ryong's portrayal of the sweet, sad gallery director Choi Do-bin (the best of the bunch frankly). Seeing Jo Eun-ji in the ensemble cast was a pleasant surprise—she was in Beating Again, and has a vibrant onscreen energy.
Master's Sun
This series is so much fun. Gong Hyo-jin plays Tae Gong-shil, who wakes up from a coma to discovers she can see ghosts. The series begins after the character's life has completely unraveled, partly because the ghosts hardly allow her to sleep. She does their bidding; delivering messages to loved ones while existing in a perpetual state of exhaustion and fear.
Possession is a bitch.
One night she hitches a ride with businessman Joo Joong-won (played by So Ji-sub) and discovers the ghosts are forced to dissipate when he touches her. Unfortunately he's not much for kindheartedness and has no interest in helping out our heroine. Realizing the haven he offers is a miracle she can't pass up, Tae Gong-shil gets a cleaning job at his mall.
For this pair car accidents are haunting in more than one way...
This mixed bag of comedy and drama is so entertaining. They really go for gold, with twins, conniving rivals, closure-for-spirits, sun metaphors, and undercover stings. The ghosts are scary at first, but like the characters you begin to get used to them.
So Ji-sub is fabulous as the businessman who tries to maintain a rigid front, and put up a valiant struggle against love. His dialogue is so unexpected, but you get his skewed logic as he tries to place a monetary interpretation on his interactions with Tae Gong-shil.
To say this guy has control issues would be understatement.
I think Gong Hyo-jin is one of the best female leads I've seen. This is the story of her journey from a frightened, disempowered victim, to an empowered survivor who comes to terms with her experience of the world.
Best Scene: When Tae Gong-shil gets drunk spirits possess her. Joo Joong-won can banish them with a touch, but it's not long before another moves in, making her inebriated nights a trial for Joo Joong-Won. Hilarious, since Tae Gong-shil isn't immune to animal spirits either...
Best Talent: The leads here are brilliant together; both performances are so nuanced. So Ji-sub plays dramatic intensity and fantastic comedic timing with equal pizazz, while Gong Hyo-jin takes the audience on her emotional journey in such a beautiful way.
Not Forgetting The Fashion...
The styling in Korean TV shows is topnotch (and shares my love of sunglasses). Out of the shows listed above, I've awarded Best Dressed Gal to Kim Yoo-ri as Tae Yi-ryung in Master's Sun. Her character is a model/celebrity, and her fashion is beautifully chosen. Generally black or white, in sleek cuts.
Best Dressed Guy award goes to Lee Min-ho as Jeon Jin-ho in Personal Taste. His styling is beautiful in this series. Hats off to whoever was behind the constant stream of stunning ensembles.
...And The Food!
In some cases there are more loving close-ups of food than there are of certain faces. And unlike U.S. TV shows, where food is a part of the set dressing and characters chew on a quarter of a teaspoonful for entire meal scenes, in Korean dramas people love to eat and the characters chow down with zeal.
Eat up!
After a while you'll get hungry, and a sandwich won't cut it because everyone onscreen is eating noodles! I grab these, available from most supermarkets. #yummmm
Is the Odd Couple pairing as unbreakable a trope as it used to be? In the evolving world of television storytelling, the OTP (One True Pairing) may be in the throes of evolution.
With the Odd Couple procedural drama Castle kicking off next season minus one of the leading pair (Stana Katic as Kate Beckett), and Sleepy Hollow still a possible renewal despite killing off one of the OTP leads (Nicole Beharie as Abbie Mills) it would seem times are a changin'.
Sexual tension/possible romance between lead characters has long been an audience drawcard. "Shipping" is a term used to describe viewers' emotional investment in the idea of a couple. Many a showrunner will tell you messing with an established "ship" can impact ratings. But these days TV is in a state of flux, with demand for new material at an all-time high. Programs willing to play with popular formats and tropes are catching the attention of viewers, and as a result networks are becoming more open to experimentation. The question is, have we reached a point where a series can not just continue, but actually flourish after the loss of its original Odd Couple? One of the most notable partner replacement gone wrong in TV history was The X-Files back in the day. Mulder's departure, it can be argued, effectively rung the death knell for the series. However it's worth noting Mulder was the quirky one in the partnership, and in the cases of Castle and Sleepy Hollow, each series' charismatic quirkster is remaining. Could this be a key factor when it comes to surviving the break-from-trope? Another point to consider is whether the bold move of ending an Odd Couple pairing onscreen is a reflection of changing times and shifting cultural attitudes. Our belief in HEA (Happily Ever After) isn't what it used to be. Are audiences becoming okay with a sparks-fly couple not working out onscreen - or not even getting together in a romantic sense in the first place? Whether death or more mundane life choices lead to a separation, chances are we've become familiar with the bittersweet transience of finding that elusive synergy with another person. Maybe, as audiences, we're ready to watch and empathize with characters dealing with life once a Grand Love, or the potential for such, has passed. Moving on: is that where the next small screen storytelling trend is at?
