Part of why HYANG DAN JEON works for me is because, although there’s an element of the ridiculous built in (it walks the line between farce and reality), at the center is Hyang Dan, and Seo Ji Hye plays her completely straight. The characters around her may be playing up the joke to some extent (the actress playing mean ol’ Weol Mae, for instance, is a hoot if you just look at her as a comic performer) — but Seo Ji Hye’s reading of Hyang Dan is entirely realistic, without a hint of meta awareness. And that’s a good thing — it saves the drama from sinking into overt jokiness. Choi Shi Won is good too, and they’ve got great chemistry together, but Seo Ji Hye is really the one who holds this story up.

While the first episode was more light-hearted and high-spirited, the second episode gets a little more serious (but not too heavy — there are still plenty of jokes and laugh-out-loud moments) as we get more into the trials and tribulations that befall Hyang Dan.

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Star Love Fish – “회색숲” (gray forest) [ zShare download ]

 
THE STORY OF HYANG DAN, Episode 2 >>

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MBC’s just-aired (Monday and Tuesday of this week) two-episode drama HYANG DAN JEON, which translates to The Story of Hyang Dan, isn’t really a sageuk drama, even if it takes place in the time of the Chosun Dynasty, which was founded in the late 14th century. This drama (really a minidrama, if even that) is much more like a fusion of period and modern elements (as well as comedy with drama) — to produce a cross between a Monty Python and a Shrek-ification of the famous story of the historical Chun Hyang.

I say this as someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy Korean historical dramas or films, no matter how good they are purported to be — Hyang Dan Jeon is A. DOR. A. BLE.

SONG OF THE DAY

Wanted – “Moonlight” [ zShare download ]

 
HYANG DAN JEON, Part 1 of 2 >>

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