LeeJong-suk – The Drama Bone

Whenever you search for Korean Dramas in general this one does crop up. I was intrigued everytime I saw it. What does W mean? Why would a tv drama be single lettered? How would you pull in the audience? However, I kept postponing this one for reasons unknown to me.

I finally decided to give it a shot for Lee Jong-suk. This was after watching ‘Romance is a bonus book‘. I started reading the synopsis and production. Man! Was I blown away by the concept? Definitely Yes!

So the name for the series is derived from the word ‘Webtoon’. W is the name of both the drama and the webtoon which is shown in the drama. There are two worlds as the complementary title suggests. One is the real world and the other is the world of webtoon or simply ‘W’. The story is about how the two worlds intertwine together and the lives of both the people and character become related to each other.

Since conceptually there is a lot to digress and digest. (Also, I don’t want to give too many spoilers or make this a extremely long post) Go here to find out about the set-up. I will hereon simply put my views about the show.

Usually Kdramas for me take time to develop my love for them. There are very few dramas that I like from the first episode or the moment go. W was one such drama for me.

Within less than 15 minutes into drama, I saw a teardrop fall from Lee Jong-suk’s eye. It was an emotional moment that pulled me in- The power of a single teardrop. His character, Kang Chul’s life has been filled with pain since an early age.

I absolutely love how the cliches of any story have been subtly and logically spun into the drama. The idea of the main character not dying because it’s unfair. We (audience) don’t need the scenes where main character isn’t doing anything and the time just passes quickly (Just like in movies!). For the episode to end something should happen to the main character. The fact that actual drama spoilers have been quietly hinted at via the webtoon is sheer brilliance. If there’s a hero, there has to be villian. But how the villian comes to life and takes over both the worlds is simply stimulating.

There is so much going back and forth that audience might actually start losing sense of what’s real and what’s alternative world of W which actually also happens with the characters of the drama.

Coming to the characters, Lee Jong-suk as Kang Chul is real good. The character suits him. I believe he has such sharp facial features which make him a perfect fit for the webtoon. He is impressionable for the comic. His character sees some changes later on when coming to terms with everything and I find the ‘New Kang Chul’ better than the old. He is more soultion oriented, more out of element, thinking beyond his character in the webtoon.

I like the fact that Han Hyo-joo’s character has tenacity. She tries and she tries. She is ready to save a cartoon character by putting her life at stake, it shows how kind her heart is. She actually forgets the fact that it is all indeed a cartoon and starts enjoying her life there, merging reality and toon world. Yeon Joo is running the drama in the beginning. However, I felt her slowly succumb to becoming a character on the receiving end. She’s strong, there’s no denying that. She tenacious but I guess she turns more to praying for things to go the way she wants then trying, especially towards the final episode of webtoon. (I guess she has become drained and tired)

The chemistry between them is definitely amazing. The series features puung’s book and they try to do all the things listed in the book (so cute!). The fact that they come together, going against the original set up, all of it makes you push for love a little harder (even if you are single).

Coming to music, I became addicted to the opening theme so quickly. Whenever I would begin a new episode, I would get excited to watch the opening. ‘Please say something, even though it is a lie‘, ‘Falling‘, ‘Draw a love‘ and ‘Without You‘ were my favourite tracks out of this one. However, to my surprise, I have rarely played them on loop!

Overall, I would rate this drama a 9/10 for it’s creative and original plot, the chemistry, the progress and transitions and overall entertainment. I want to give a big shout-out to illustrator for this drama, for portraying everything so realistically. It is truly a masterpiece. Everyone should watch this drama, solely for it’s plot (credits to the writer, Song Jae-jung). Only issue I had with this drama was not enough romantic scenes between the lead. But would it ever be enough if it’s Lee Jong-suk?

I don’t think I can provide justice to this drama by this review. It is too complex to put into words here. Maybe a comic can help? #punintended 🙂

Why watch it?

For its concept and creativity, story and plot twists
If you like thriller and mystery spun with some mellow romance
If you like dramas that keep you on your feet
For Lee Jong Suk and Han Hyo Joo’s amazing chemistry
If you like cartoons and webtoons (then it’s a must watch! It may change your perspective or give you a new million ones)

Continue reading “A webtoon inside a television drama? | W Korean Drama Review | Two worlds, Two souls and One love | Lee Jong-suk| Han Hyo-joo” →

I finished watching the drama Romance is a bonus book. I started watching the drama after I saw a few clips of the actor, Lee Jong Suk that caught my attention. And also the title was something that really caught my eye. It was different, catchy and mysterious. This show has been the longest Korean show for me in terms of the time I took to finish it. It is beyond 1 month, not because it was boring but because I was busy. But yes, stretching it over such long period may have made it a little less interesting for me.

The story is about a woman named Kang Dan-i who is desperately trying to comeback as an advertising copywriter after years of break. Her best friend is Cha Eun-ho who is a successful author and a senior editor at a publishing company. During her difficult phase, Cha Eun-ho tries to help Dan-i overcome her personal and professional obstacles. Slowly both realise their underlying feelings for each other and how romance is just a bonus on their everlasting friendship.

The first 2 episodes were really really interesting. Like I said not a lot Kdramas start of with a bang for me. I need to dig deep into the story first. But this one did it for me. The actress has played the character absolutely beautifully. She feels irreplaceable (although I don’t know a ton of kdrama actresses).
The first few episodes were so realistic, I could actually relate to her story and her struggles to make her comeback, wanting to do something for herself after a long time. It was touching. When I learnt about how the two of them became friends, I thought that Eun-ho should have done a lot more. (Spoiler Alert!) I mean the person saved your life, made you a successful writer. You should be indebted.
I realised later that not only did he do a lot for her, he thought a lot for her too. A guy or a friend may do a lot for you but they may not always think for you. This made Eun-ho different.

Anyhow, the show in general made me learn a lot about books, what goes into making them, behind the scenes of publishing. It made me realise it’s not as easy as it seems. And also I had a new found respect for books even the ones I don’t like. There is so much backstory to a book and so many people involved, it is actually matter of life for some people. The deadlines and how people relentlessly work for it like it’s their baby. This is writer’s gold.

The marketing ideas discussed are unique and something I haven’t seen, if not new. I really loved them, it was an eye opener. There is an epilogue at the end of the episode which includes quotes and captions by the characters. This in my opinion is such a nice way to kind of take the story forward or reflect on something in past but from a different perspective. The comic scenes induced in between are not so subtle but they do make you smile if not laugh. Something’s however were highlighted more than necessary like the writer’s story, it kind of became more important than the characters itself. The protagonist’s child was dropped from the picture altogether only to be talked of at the end, which gives it a round end but does not look realistic. It makes me wonder if she talked to her child the whole time? Not even told her daughter about her boyfriend?
I really like how they have used the ‘Moon is Beautiful’ phrase. How Eun-ho used it to convey I love you to Dan-i. How they even used it to thank the viewers for watching the show. It reminds me of the phrase ‘I purple you’ from BTS.

I am not a big fan of ost from drama. It wasn’t something I listened to again and again. And for some reason unbeknownst to me, I kept picturing Dan-i and Eun-ho more as best friends than lovers, maybe because their friendship was real solid and enduring.

I liked the ending it was really soft and deep. It talked about how we should be like a book and the book we are may not be liked by some but it will also be loved by some. Be a book for someone.

All in all, it was a great drama with a good and different storyline. If you like thoughtful dramas, books, or are struggling professional, this one might just be for you. It definitely makes up on my must watch list if not the top ones.

The drama teaches us that life is about giving second chances even to yourself.

Why Watch it?

If you like bestfriend to lovers dram theme
If you are a Lee Jong-Suk fan
If you are a Lee Na-young fan as she has comeback with a bang
To explore friendships, books and life
If you wish to watch something deep and thoughtful along with a bit of humour

Continue reading “Romance is a bonus book: Kdrama Review” →