Hwang Jung-eum courted back to dramaland for Lucky Romance

108 March 17, 2016March 31, 2016

Hwang Jung-eum courted back to dramaland for Lucky Romance

by javabeans

This wouldn’t be giving her much of a honeymoon, but Hwang Jung-eum always seemed like the kind of actress who couldn’t stay away from acting for too long: She’s currently in consideration to star in an upcoming MBC drama that has me excited, a webtoon adaptation called Lucky Romance. (Perhaps it would be more accurate to say luck-centric or luck-obsessed, since the heroine is incredibly superstitious and arranges her whole life around what’s lucky.)

I started reading the webtoon when the drama was first announced, and found it fresh and laugh-out-loud funny. The heroine is zany and cute, while the stern, humorless hero offers a fun contrast with his rigid ways. At first, it’s your classic opposites-attract setup: She’s Bo-nui, a wacky thirtysomething office worker who’s behind on her rent and spends all her energy trying to maximize her good fortune, seeing psychics, getting charms written, scattering beans to ward off bad luck — you name it, she’s tried it. He’s Taek-hoo, the uptight 29-year-old who has scrimped every penny to buy an apartment building, with rather epic Scrooge tendencies: In one case, a pretty co-worker brings him a coffee, and he immediately hands her his tumbler and directs her to return to the cafe to claim his 20-cent discount.

It’s unsurprising that Taek-hoo’s first order of business as landlord is to evict Bo-nui. She fumes at his high-handedness, but she has a bigger problem: According to a fortune teller, death is in the cards this year unless she cures the bad energy before the month is over… by having a one-night stand with a man who’s a tiger sign in the zodiac (born in 1986), preferably a virgin.

As it turns out, Taek-hoo happens to be a tiger sign… and he’s also never dated before because he’s so maniacal about saving money that he refuses to spend any on romance. He even wears a promise ring to himself! So Bo-nui makes it her mission to sleep with Taek-hoo, which is complicated by the fact that they disgust each other. It’s great. And there is a deeper heart behind the outlandish premise, which gives both characters more layers beneath the surface.

I can see how Hwang Jung-eum would be a good choice for the role, even if she overdoes her comedy moments, because she’s great at mining the poignant beats in between the zaniness. Now, for the penny-pinching tiger-man lead… Who’s free these days? Kim Soo-hyun? Seo In-gook? No, I think it really has to be Joo-won. He still has a few months before he’s drafted, right?

Lucky Romance will follow Goodbye Mr. Black and premieres in May.

Via Star News

108

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51 manisha

March 18, 2016 at 12:49 AM

Nowadays whenever I see the news of any promising upcoming drama i wish they would cast Joo won in it. I still can't believe he's enlisting soon. Just give the poor guy a good drama with a good female lead drama gods!

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52 canxi

March 18, 2016 at 2:33 AM

I lIke Hwang Jung Eum a lot. I don't even mind her hamminess, lol. I'll watch this if she takes it. I hope she is paired with someone good!

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53 Valerie Gudorf

March 18, 2016 at 3:34 AM

If HJE were as hated by the Korean drama watching audience as much as she is here, she would be seriously SOL! Lucky for her, the mostly Western, mostly English speaking micro-cosm that is Drama Beans doesn't amount to a hill of beans, so her career is safe.

As for me, I'll be tuning in because she doesn't annoy me nearly as much as she does many of her DB detractors, and the premise sounds like something just up my rom-com loving alley. I'm hoping for laugh-out-loud funny. I'm sure though, that Kim Soo Hyun is too much to ask for as her co-star.

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54 HyunaEoma

March 18, 2016 at 6:58 AM

It seems, for the most part, it's only foreigners that dislike her style of comedy. My husband LOVES it, and k netizens seem to as well. I used to think she was too over the top, but I've grown to really love her zaniness! She doesn't care about always looking pretty when she acts. She just GOES for it. I think that's why directors love her.

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55 Itenoria

March 18, 2016 at 10:09 AM

Even the premise has me laughing like a loon. I have to see this. It's going to be sooo good *Rofl.

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56 Kdramafan

March 18, 2016 at 4:46 PM

Please no more Hwang Jung-eum in comedies... please...
She does so well in melodramas, and her crying scenes are great. But she KILLS comedy (in the literal bad way), like she really over-does it, sometimes ruining the show :/

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57 Zah

March 18, 2016 at 9:44 PM

I wish she would work with Ji Sung again. Sigh.

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Jj

March 23, 2016 at 9:13 PM

Me too!!

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58 yui

March 19, 2016 at 8:22 AM

i want kim seul gi ><

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59 artha regina

March 21, 2016 at 12:22 AM

please, not HJE, i want other actrees. I mean i didnt say that i dont like her, but i'd love to see new faces in my screen.

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60 Viki

March 21, 2016 at 1:37 AM

I can totally see her doing this role! It would be awesome! I would love to see it :)

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61 merrym

March 23, 2016 at 12:49 AM

Might be a little too soon to have Hwang Jung-eum in another comedy role...not sure whose great idea this was...She should be worried about turning into one of those actresses you grow supersensitive to, just because they keep turning up in dramas you'd love to watch...

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62 Jj

March 23, 2016 at 9:07 PM

Can't wait to see HJE In another hilarious role again, may be her overacting is the charm. Even in her interviews she comes off as less guarded and very real.love her!!