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Rom-com mystery My Secret Hotel confirms cast

Confirmations are in for tvN’s next Monday-Tuesday drama My Secret Hotel, along with clearer plot and character descriptions for our main cast: Yoo Inna (You From Another Star) will be headlining alongside Jin Yi-han (A New Leaf), as a hotel wedding planner who gets stuck planning her ex-husband’s second wedding. Gack. That sounds horrible, and yet great fodder for a rom-com. The twist is that a murder in the hotel throws everything off-course, and the exes get sucked into the murder investigation all while juggling their sudden reunion under awkward circumstances.

The 16-episode drama (from the writer of Goodbye Wife and the second PD on Doctor Stranger and City Hunter) is being called a romantic comedy mystery, which is a relief since the premise already sounds wacky to begin with. Yoo Inna plays the head of the wedding planning division of an elite hotel that specializes in boutique weddings. She’s described as a perfectionist at her job, optimistic in all things, and a hardworking cheerful person who dreams of becoming the hotel’s general manager someday. According to her legal paperwork she’s never been married, but technically, she married Jin Yi-han’s character seven years ago — they just never made it through the marriage long enough to file the paperwork.

Jin Yi-han plays a successful architect with looks and brains, and a prickly demeanor. He and the heroine fell madly in love seven years ago and followed a fiery romance with a wedding. But he’s someone who thinks of relationships as easily coming and going, and in the end they fought and broke up before even making it to their hundredth day as a married couple. They’ll reunite when Yoo Inna ends up having to plan his second wedding to another woman, and in the course of that craziness, they’ll get swept up in a murder that happens at the hotel.

Namgoong Min (I Need Romance 3) plays the hotel director, described as thoughtful, gentle, broad-minded, and popular with the ladies. He’ll be the other leg of the love triangle, as well as an important figure in the mystery because of a delicate personal connection to the murder case. Lee Young-eun (To the Beautiful You) has also joined the cast as the hotel’s public relations manager, and she’ll be an ambitious career woman who competes with Yoo Inna for Namgoong Min’s affections. She’ll also prove to be an adversary in the workplace when she tries to use the circumstances surrounding the murder to get a leg up on the corporate ladder.

The divorce-and-remarriage drama trend seems to be going strong, though murder rom-com is a fresh spin, and the wedding planning hijinks might spice things up nicely. At any rate the cast is worth tuning in for, and now that we know the setup, I’m looking forward to the Yoo Inna-Jin Yi-han pairing. My Secret Hotel follows High School King of Savvy and premieres mid-August.

Via Osen

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Yeesh.. PD of Doctor Stranger in My Secret Hotel... Goodluckkkkk

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Only saving grace is that he was the second pd;-) lets hope that he was extremely meek and was a total doormat and the head pd walked all over him :-P

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Well, whatever Dr Stranger was writing-wise, it was still beautifully shot. The scene layouts were great, sometimes suspenseful, and the music score was also integrated nicely.

And while I will stay fa~~~r away from Dr Stranger's writer's dramas, I think the PDs did their best ... so I'm not worried :D

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Amen. Let's not blame Dr. Stranger's PDs for the horrible plot. They tried their best.

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Also he was the pd on City Hunter as well and that's promising.

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hey the PD was NOT the problem in Dr Stranger! He was just left to cover for the writer's mess/try to make it look cool, he's actually done great work before on City Hunter, Shining Inheritance and Master's Sun.

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If she/he was the PD/2nd PD for City Hunter, Shining Inheritance, and Master's Sun, I'm definitely in for trying this drama!

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I'm just glad that Yoo inna is headlining a drama again ! I think she's great!

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I also like watching her :) And I can see her being adorable as that character.

It's good to see her as a lead again!
(I am also happy when she is not a lead, because it gives her more dramas, and more interesting interactions with the other characters..)

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Lo. That's true too ! I love those dramas where we initially hate her but end up loving her by the end of it!

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I like the cast and the setup...looking forward to it.

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I like the set up and cast too, but does anyone know what, "Were married but never got to register the paperwork.." mean. Isn't that just living together? Sort of a common law marriage or does it work differently in Korea? Thanks.

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Weird name for a show. Must sounds a great deal better in Korean. Do they not consult with anyone who got a handle on the English words?

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The only info I can find on the name is that it's 마이 시크릿 호텔 in Hangul, which is "My Secret Hotel" phonetically. So it's not a weird translation, that's the actual name. Hopefully it will make more sense once we see the show?

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Ooooooo this does sound interesting and I'm now a fan of these divorced reunited dramas since sly and single so hopefully this can replace that as I'm currently watching emergency couple but I'm not that into it

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I think Emergency Couple has more of a serious tone to it, despite having lots of funny moments.

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Yay for Yoo Inna! Finally another drama where she won't act as an actress again.

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Nam Goong Min!! I hope his WGM predictions are true. After his last drama being cut in half, he really needs this to be a hit!

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This is what I'm hoping too. WGM made me like him so much. I kinda wish he was the lead.

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I love Yoo Inna as lead...but the PD of Doctor Stranger?

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Hmmm, interesting. Jin Yi Han was in a drama short a year or two ago where he plays a similar role. In "Another Wedding," he also plays the guy whose second marriage is being planned by his ex-wife.
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Another_Wedding

It sounds like the drama will have a lighter tone and will have the murder mystery to add to the plot.

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My first thought when I read the article, especially since I just watched it yesterday. Hong Soo Hyun was pretty awesome as the lead!

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Wahhh, that was my thought too but i don't know the leas ia Jin Yi Han. I remember the drama and KBS re-aired that 2 month ago. Hate the ending.
btw, i like YIN in the lead role again maybe next time in big 3 station.

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Opps sorry with wrong spelling. Big thumb small keypad. Grrr.

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I'm excited! Love Yoo In-Na...hope this is an amazing role for her!

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Oh sounds interesting...16 episodes means there must be more plot after the murder is solved

I love his voice and Empress Ki hair

Yay In Na

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Yay!!!!!!!!! As far I'm concerned, Lee Young-eun can have Namgoong Mom's character, just leave my OTP to be together and smoking hot, that's all I want. Yoo Inna manages to have a good chemistry with those of her co-stars I've seen her with even when she was the second lead so I bet she'll be top notch with Jin Yi-han. This news just made my day. Huzzah for Yoo Inna and Jin Yi-han! Manseh! Manseh!! Manseh!!!

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Love Yoo Inna so this is great news for me, but getting back with an ex after he's engaged to someone else? Er… how do I feel about that…

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I'm hoping they'll handle it tastefully, with no cheating. I won't mind them realizing their feelings for each other and getting back together as long as he breaks up with his fiance as soon as he realizes his feelings.

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As long as the soon-to-be-ex-fiancee isn't some haughty chaebol heiress with whom he has an "arrangement" (as much as I like Seo Hye-rim ... hehe) I like my rom-coms, but I hope his engagement is more than just a contract marriage.

Love love love Yoo Inna!! So happy for her, and can't wait to see it!

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The part of the wedding planner thingy planning her ex-husband's wedding is exactly like the special where Jin Yi Han plays the husband (once again) in the 2012 KBS special "The Wedding Planner".

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YAY, this sounds like a frothy fun drama. I don't know why but I'm picturing clue the movie in my head. :)
So glad Yi-Han is the lead, as he got shafted with his New Leaf Part, and Namgoong was so irksome in INR3, I just cant imagine him as leading man.

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YES!!!! THIS is the OTP I wanted! I'm so stoked for both of them. Can't wait for it so start!

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This should be an interesting pairing, and maybe just maybe, netizens will get over Yoo Inna's breakup with her QIHM co-star and forget about Jin Yi Han's rumored relationship with Ha Ji Won.

"According to her legal paperwork she’s never been married, but technically, she married Jin Yi-han’s character seven years ago — they just never made it through the marriage long enough to file the paperwork."
=> This was very puzzling to me and led me to do some research on legal requirements for marriage in South Korea, which was pretty instructive, especially with the de facto marriage.

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Ooh, can you summarize some of what you found out about said legal requirements? I always find this stuff fascinating.

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I love quirky rom-coms so I'm excited for this one! Love that Yoo In Na is headlining and it's great that I get to see Jin Yi Han in a lead~ :D

I also looove Nam Goong Min and am glad he'll get some love thrown his way in the form of Lee Young Eun who I think is awesome but rarely ever used. Eveything sounds good on the cast front. I have never seen Goodbye Wife or Doctor Stanger (and never will) and I'm not one of City Hunter's fans but I do trust Yoo In Na's judgment, lol.

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TvN has a handle on Rom Coms. I have faith in them.

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I thought ngm was the male lead thats what I read at other sites

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Is Namgoong Min's last name Min or Nam? Why is is name written this way? Do his friends call him Namgoong or Min? Or Goongmin if his last name is Nam?

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Namgoong Min's last name is Namgoong. Typically Korean surnames are one character (like "Kim" or "Lee") and compound, two-syllable surnames like Namgoong aren't too common but are out there. Other examples would be "Dokko" or "Hwangbo".

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Two-syllable last name? I'm Korean and I've never heard of this. Interesting. Thanks.

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I love Yoo In Ah. Even when she played evil, I found her adorable.

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Hmm Korea is really eating up the guessing game/thriller/mystery dramas lately (Reply 1994, I Can Hear Your Voice, Gap Dong, God's Gift 14 Days, etc.). Poor Nam Goong Min...forever stuck as the second lead guy who never gets the girl :( Glad to see that the drama is moving along though, I remember him mentioning his last drama never got through the early stages.

- ham
kdramame.wordpress.com

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Why are they investigating the murder? I thought his character was going to play a detective/cop or some sort. This is pretty odd :D

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Premise sounds very much like a Japanese drama I watched a few years ago. That one wasn't a frothy rom-com and the mystery of the murder was quite intriguing and the groom didn't get back together with the heroine and was never meant to because he wasn't the hero.

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sounds inyeresting. could you share the tittle?

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I was thinking the same thing. It's called "Honjitsu wa Taian Nari". But it was more like the heroine (and co-workers) was planning five weddings (including her ex-husband/fiance) at a time. She received a threatening letter saying to cancel the wedding but it never specified which one. Hijinks galore!

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Was really interested UNTIL the second PD for Doctor Stranger then a WTF expression with a few eyerolls followed but I like the story concept along with Yoo Inna so I will definitely give it a chance.

I guess being the second PD garners a second chance but I am going in JUDGING HARD...lol

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This looks interesting, but I don't really want any reminders that High School King of Savvy will one day come to an end...

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Would you please tell me what website you use to watch High School King of Savvy? It is not on Viki nor Dramafever. Thanks.

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Who is the male lead?? the ex or the director????

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The ex.

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I feel like I'll just watch whatever romcom TvN comes with.....they're just so good at it. The premise sounds interesting and also like it can swing either way with who ends up with who.

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Really loving TvN!

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Exactly - they really have stepped up game lately!!! Hope the big 3 get the message!

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Yay! Yoo Inna and Jin Yi Han... definitely gonna watch this!

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Why is the bride not part of this casting? Will she be our dead body? Probably ... because why else would any writer surpass this opportunity at a love pentagon? And if the bride is no longer there, we have no problems with the leads coming back together after a session of comforting :D

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I was just about to post, asking about the bride-to-be, since she wasn't mentioned in the cast.

For some odd (and sick?) reason, I like your story speculations- it will explain a lot!

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Good to see yoo inna in another lead role...

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Hey Gitlfriday Yo In Na was not in 'you from another star' but 'queen In Hyun's man' ?? love both dramas.

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Lol, she totally was in You From Another Star--she was Chun Yi's friend/celebrity rival. How did you miss her?

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She was in YFAS as Yoo Se Mi, the main lead's frenemy.

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Why does it has to be her Ex husband wedding ... Is this going to be like Sly and Single ????

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This genre mix sounds like a quirky combo, but the drama sounds good.

I like Yoo Inna so I hope this turns out well. ^^

I've only seen Jin Yi Han in his short role in Evasive Inquiry Agency, but he was cute.

The rom-com mystery factor reminds me of Let's Eat (even though I'm not sure if that show was classified as such). Let's Eat did much better in the rom-com dept than w/ the mystery bit.
But My Secret Hotel's murder mystery seems to be very central to the plot.

I'm probably gonna give this show a shot when it comes.

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Glad to her YIN is doing another tvN series! Loved her in QIHM!

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While the premise sounds more interesting than most upcoming and current ones, and TvN usually does a better job than the big 3, this: "..a perfectionist at her job, optimistic in all things, and a hardworking cheerful person..".

Hmm where have I seen that trope before? Oh.. wait, in half the k-dramas for the past 10 years, maybe?

Maybe it is just me, but I am getting this feeling that k-dramas have gotten themselves into a rut, endlessly repeating many of the same old tropes. I just hope that this heroine can at least tie her own shoes...

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I like Yoo In Na because she brings more to characters than how they are written on paper. Might surprise you, though. Character descriptions don't always get it right so I tend not to look too deep into them.

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Jin Yi-han is OTP. Huzzah!!! *dances like a loon*

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I'm excited about this drama. For one thing-- the character description for the female lead sounds a bit outside the usual innocent Candy norm (fist pump! throws confetti!) and for another thing--a murder mystery combined with a romcom sounds like a fun, quirky ride. And the cast seem to be made of good actors as well. I'm totally checking this out if they sub it.

And now I feel really anxious, because the last time I was excited for a drama just by hearing the synopsis it was with "Yoo-Na's Street" and even though lots of episodes have come out and been uploaded online most of them are RAW. This is one of those times I really wish I knew Korean. -sighs- Anyway, does anyone know what's happening subbing wise with "Yoo-Na Street"? Did viki fail on getting the license or something? Crossing my fingers that this doesn't happen to the upcoming drama "My Secret Hotel" as well!

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Yoo Na's Street is being subbed by darksmurf subs--I'm not sure how far they got, though.

For dramas like that where the actors are less of a draw for fans, I think you might have to put in special requests in advance to your drama site of choice to let them know people are interested. For this drama, I doubt you'll have a problem finding subs with Yoo In Na attached-- she's a draw after Queen In Hyun's man. And everyone loves Jin Yi Han after his stint as Tal Tal in Empress Ki.

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Yoona`s Street is being subbed by DarkSurfSub. They had 12 complete episodes and other 3 almost done. DSS Team is doing a great job.

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Namgoong Min was the lead in Unemployed Romance, which I loved. He has a real flair for comedy. I usually like rom-coms which incorporate a mystery. It sounds like it's a throwback to classic Hollywood screwball comedies of the 30's where two people who don't like each other have to unite to solve a mystery and, oh yes, fall in love (again in this case) while doing it.

But, like Windsun33, I think that K-dramas in general have gotten themselves into a bit of a rut lately. I don't mind a lead character who is “..a perfectionist at her job, optimistic in all things, and a hardworking cheerful person..” Most romantic female leads everywhere seem to fall into this category. And I don't mind romantic male leads who start out as overgrown boys and who are dragged kicking and screaming into manhood, usually by the aforementioned female leads. This is the classic stuff of romantic comedy. It's not the cliches of the genre that seem tired and stale. I can't quite put my finger on what is the problem.

It's like everybody involved has suddenly stopped believing in what they are doing. It's become driven less by a desire to tell a good story and entertain and more about being a vehicle to sell product. There seems to be no real commitment to good story telling, cliched or not. Not all mind you. You Are All Surrounded and (so far) Joseon Gunman, for example, which have three very good actors who know what they are doing and it shows.

And it's not just rom-coms for me either. I stopped watching Dr Stranger after one episode and Three Weeks after the third. I was bored! Mind you, I am sticking to the terminal weirdness that is Triangle to the bitter end so go figure.

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You could say it's because Triangle has heart no matter what its flaws are.

But I'm with you. Most of the "magic" has left kdramas. There's a remarkable difference between Kdramas shot a few years ago and the ones which are shown now. I thought it was because I was saturated with an over abundance of shows and that I needed a break. But I guess that's not quite it, and like you indicated, it's kind of hard to put your finger on what exactly is wrong. You're All Surrounded, for me, is no exception to the rule.

I seem to prefer the less popular dramas that still have plenty of heart to them, despite the lack of appeal to majority of the populace, dramas like Triangle, Ghost, Ten and Heartless City, still meet the mark for me.

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I loved Heartless City and liked Ghost a lot although I haven't seen Ten. If you recommend it, I will seek it out. And I had very high hopes for Triangle when it first started. It did have a lot of heart. The set up was compelling, cliches be damned, the characters well rounded and with tons of dramatic potential. I thought it was on track to become a favourite drama. It had a kind of old fashioned, throwback to earlier dramas quality to it about gritty, working class people and I was excited. Unfortunately it's completely lost its appeal for me and I am now watching it as more of an exercise in what not to do.

I am not hard to please when it comes to dramas of any genre or country of origin because the drama I most enjoyed this year so far was Golden Rainbow. I guess it was the so-called "heart" factor that kept me watching. It was riddled with cliches, filled with incessantly wailing small children, cardboard villains, a completely over-the-top scenery chewing mother-in-law, a father so good it was almost a mental deficiency and so on But it was one of the few shows that actually made me sad it was over. So I was willing to cut Triangle a lot of slack but it's like there has been a failure at almost all levels, writing, direction, production values. The acting is still great but I feel sorry for the actors because they are being given nothing to work with at this point.

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"..and more about being a vehicle to sell product..".

This is kind of the feeling I have been getting also think, though I have not quite put my finger on it yet exactly. In some cases it seems like at least parts of the newer dramas are being written around PPL's and Idols more than to come up with anything really original or compelling.

Seems like more and more I get this "been there, done that" feeling with 3/4 of the dramas from the past year or so.

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The whole product placement thing has just gotten out of control in some dramas. In YAAS, the poor characters seem to survive exclusively on Subway sandwiches. But, if the story is compelling enough, I can ignore stuff like that. The City Hall, my favourite K-drama ever, had multiple scenes set in a Burger King. And the whole idol factor, which I admittedly know literally zero about, doesn't really matter to me at all. Jaejoong is doing a great job in Triangle, it's just he's given absolutely nothing to work with by the writing which I can only describe at this point as abysmal. All the characters are talk, talk, talking in one cafe, boardroom or hallway after another and not doing anything. It's like the writer can't even be bothered to create even one action sequence per episode.

As you say, it's hard to put a finger on what exactly is the problem. It's not the cliches per se, every genre has them. It is what is done with them that matters. There are ways of making even the hoariest of plots dramatic and fresh seeming. Everyone from actors to the production staff has to care about what they are doing. But increasingly on a lot of the dramas I've watched recently everyone seems to be just phoning it in. It's like they are all demoralized or something and it's really starting to show.

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This sounds awfully the same like a drama special on KBS title "Another Wedding" starring Hong Soo Hyun and Jin Yi Han, minus the murder. The couple ended with a one night stand and he still married the other girl, played by a Japanese girl (I forgot her name but she was in WGM with Hong Ki).

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Erm... am I the only one who mistook Jin Yi Han's pic for Ji Hyun Woo and freaked out?

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yoo inna all de way

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