Lee Min-ho! Back in a drama! From “rom-com queen” writer Kim Eun-sook! So many feelings to feel! Don’t forget to breathe!

This is quite the power hookup, as far as big names go — Kim Eun-sook dramas are huge hits almost automatically, with A Gentleman’s Dignity and Secret Garden being her two most recent offerings. Perhaps the bigger accomplishment is that her dramas aren’t “merely” popular; they often have that extra little kick that make them pop-culture buzz projects, whether it’s due to a particular line of dialogue or a recurring joke or a blue sequined tracksuit. (Hand-stitched in Italy!)

This drama is titled (a little awkwardly) He Who Wishes To Wear the Crown, Endure Its Weight: Heirs. (I hope it’ll just go by Heirs in the way that the long version of Nice Guy’s title was only used on posters and promos.) There’s very little information available about the concept or story; we merely have writer Kim’s assurances that she is creating the hero just for Lee Min-ho, to suit him perfectly. Considering how her male leads have historically been very memorable, I have no doubt we’re in for an interesting role here.

I’ll admit that I’m not personally super excited about Kim Eun-sook’s work (I have major love-hate relationship with her shows), but I do think that having her name attached to a drama means it’s very likely going to be a fizzy, banter-filled, slick and glossy romantic comedy that audiences just love to eat up, which appeal to a wide age range of viewers, whether teenaged or ajumma-aged or older (hey, grandmas love romance too, right?). And I can definitely get onboard Lee Min-ho being in another romantic comedy.

As for Lee Min-ho… well, he’s Lee Min-ho. You know, I’ll call a spade a spade: Faith finally opened my eyes to the cracks in his acting facade, whereas previously I’d sincerely believed he had once-in-a-generation phenom potential. Now I’ll concede he is a pretty good actor for his age and experience level, but not without some obvious limitations, who has some work to do to upgrade to the next level of his craft. That said, Lee Min-ho does possess a rare spark that lives regardless of technical skill, and he may still be a once-in-a-generation actor in a pop-culture sense — damn, he is popular. It’s his special It Factor that makes him so exciting to watch… and no, the beauty doesn’t hurt.

Directing is Kang Shin-hyo, who worked on Tazza and Midas. Heirs will be 20 episodes long and plans to air on SBS later this year.

Via E Daily

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• Lee Min-ho heads for Los Angeles
• Lee Min-ho’s me2day interview
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• A Gentleman’s Dignity: Episode 1
• City Hunter: Episode 1
• Secret Garden: Episode 1

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Post tags: A Gentleman's Dignity, Lee Min-ho, Secret Garden

If there’s anything that Santa has taught me over the years (other than a musical mnemonic about single-malt scotches), it’s that Christmas is a time of giving. Dramaland gives us so much throughout the year, that I thought it was finally time for me to stop being a grinch and give back, out of the goodness of my heart. *waits for credit*

So this year I’ve made a Christmas list, and every drama I’ve watched this year is on it. Because everyone deserves presents. Yes, even you, Show.

 
SONG OF THE DAY

The King 2 Hearts OST – “Hang-ah’s Dream” [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Dramaland: The gift that keeps on giving [Year In Review, Part 5] (8,856 words)

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Post tags: A Gentleman's Dignity, Answer Me 1997, Arang and the Magistrate, Big, Faith, featured, Gaksital, I Do I Do, I Miss You, I Need Romance 2012, King of Dramas, Nice Guy, Queen In-hyun's Man, Rooftop Prince, Shut Up: Flower Boy Band, The Chaser, The King 2 Hearts, The Moon That Embraces the Sun, To the Beautiful You, Vampire Prosecutor 2, year in review

FINAL EPISODE RECAP

javabeans: Cold open! Ha, I love that these actors play themselves at half their ages, like in this scene where they’re all decked out in school uniforms and totally playing blind to the fact that they’re acting with, like, 17-year-olds.

girlfriday: This is my favorite, just for the ridiculous factor of these guys in those uniforms.

javabeans: Aw, is this from before they were even all friends?

girlfriday: Okay, I love this. Do we finally get to see how they got to be friends?

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Read the rest of A Gentleman’s Dignity: Episode 20 (Final) (3,770 words)

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Post tags: A Gentleman's Dignity, conversation post, featured, Jang Dong-gun, Kim Haneul, Kim Min-jong, Kim Su-ro, Lee Jong-hyuk

javabeans: So we’re doing something different with these last two episodes of A Gentleman’s Dignity, because sometimes life gets busy while you’re recapping. Sad but true. But we know that a drama fix is never complete without a finale, so girlfriday and I decided we’d lend a hand and finish things off. But it’s been a while since the show ended, and uh, maybe one of us hasn’t actually been watching it fully, so…

girlfriday: This is gonna be interesting.

javabeans: Or really boring? Because now I remember why I stopped watching…

girlfriday: Guess we’ll find out!

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Read the rest of A Gentleman’s Dignity: Episode 19 (4,338 words)

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Post tags: A Gentleman's Dignity, conversation post, featured, Jang Dong-gun, Kim Haneul, Kim Min-jong, Kim Su-ro, Lee Jong-hyuk

Waiting is excruciating. Period.

EPISODE 18 RECAP

F44 takes a drive in Yoon’s car, which is rear-ended by a young man in his twenties. Do Jin notes that the kid’s car probably belongs to his daddy and the others smirk in response before putting their hands around their necks. They feign pain as they step out of the car and the young man asks if anybody was hurt.

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Read the rest of A Gentleman’s Dignity: Episode 18 (4,458 words)

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Post tags: A Gentleman's Dignity, featured, Jang Dong-gun, Kim Haneul, Kim Min-jong, Kim Su-ro, Lee Jong-hyuk

Is that the face of dismay you’re wearing at hearing this news?

A Gentleman’s Dignity has already been put on hold for one week while SBS has been broadcasting Olympics coverage instead, but it was supposed to air its last two episodes this weekend. Now the broadcaster has announced that there will be another pre-emption, bringing another week of waiting before finale week rolls around next weekend.

Sigh. I’m not even watching the show consistently and I think that’s a bummer. If anything, it’s one way to seriously kill momentum, RIGHT before the ending. One week I could understand (although it really makes you wonder why things got to that point in the first place—SBS has known about the Olympics for FOUR YEARS. Surely it had time to do the math and plan dramas accordingly). But two consecutive weeks does put a damper on the drama just when excitement usually is ramping up to the big finish.

If you want to look at it from a glass-half-full perspective, I suppose there’s the consolation that this is a Kim Eun-sook romantic comedy, so really, we’re not wondering Oh no, will they or won’t they? Because you know they will—stuff might not make sense along the way, or there might be needlessly complicated angst, but you know the couple’s gonna get their happily ever after. Or afters, in this case of four ajusshi bachelors and their respective love lives. Still, if you’re a fan, that silver lining probably isn’t looking too shiny. When you want your drama fix, you want it NOW.

The final week, Episodes 19 and 20, will now be shown next weekend (August 11-12), pushing follow-up drama Five Fingers back another week. Unless, you know, SBS changes its mind again. It’s not out of the question, given that next weekend coincides with the closing ceremony. Cross those fingers now…

Via TV Report, Star News

RELATED POSTS

• Olympics-preempted drama schedule update
• Drama preemptions abound for the Olympic Games
• Extension updates: Dr. Jin yes, Gentleman no
• A Gentleman’s Dignity: Episode 1

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2012. | Permalink | 80 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Gentleman's Dignity

Yay for plot movement, nay for how it was handled. Yay for cute, nay for useless filler.

EPISODE 17 RECAP

Yoon comments that it’s already been ten years since the 2002 World Cup and the boys sigh as they divulge memories of watching South Korea move up to the second round of the tournament. Do Jin commends Park Ji Sung “hyung” for his ability to play in England’s Premier League; he’s Do Jin’s hero nowadays. LOL.

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Read the rest of A Gentleman’s Dignity: Episode 17 (3,518 words)

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Post tags: A Gentleman's Dignity, featured, Jang Dong-gun, Kim Haneul, Kim Min-jong, Kim Su-ro, Lee Jong-hyuk

So there’s good news and bad news this time. Or, perhaps bad news wrapped in a delicious candy coating? Um… absence makes the heart grow fonder? Is this working? I hear that patience and fortitude are character-building. Or so they say. Obviously I wouldn’t know. You’d think the broadcasters would’ve planned ahead, given that the Olympics gives you like, the gestation period of two elephants in succession to plan, but we’re flying by the seat of our pants, ya hear?

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Read the rest of Olympics-preempted drama schedule update (317 words)

© girlfriday for Dramabeans, 2012. | Permalink | 74 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 1N2D, A Gentleman's Dignity, Dr. Jin, Running Man

Sad news for impatient drama viewers, which may be a redundant moniker. What, you can’t just give me my crack and then TAKE IT AWAY. The London Olympics will be taking over some major primetime broadcasting slots, and it looks like dramas will be preempted left and right. Everyone take a deep breath, and stock up on some behind-the-scenes videos and reruns to tide yourselves over for the next few weeks.

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Read the rest of Drama preemptions abound for the Olympic Games (322 words)

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Post tags: A Gentleman's Dignity, Arang and the Magistrate, Faith, Gaksital, Ghost, To the Beautiful You

After a few weeks of maybes and We’re negotiating and rumors, weekend shows Dr. Jin and A Gentleman’s Dignity have both come out with official stances on the state of their futures: Dr. Jin will be getting its hoped-for extension after all, while weekend ratings winner A Gentleman’s Dignity will wrap without any additional installments.

It seems a bit counterintuitive, since SBS has been raking in 20%+ ratings with zippy, light-hearted rom-com A Gentleman’s Dignity, which is by far the more buzzed-about hit show between the two. You’d think they’d be more primed for prolonging the high numbers. But according to SBS CP Kang Shin-ho, it will end with Episode 20 as planned. He cited actor schedules as a hindrance, adding that while the upcoming London Olympics broadcast schedule will likely result in a pre-emption for the show, there won’t be any other adjustments to its length.

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Read the rest of Extension updates: Dr. Jin yes, Gentleman no (310 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2012. | Permalink | 122 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Gentleman's Dignity, Dr. Jin, drama production