Although Tamra the Island has finished airing, gallivanter and myself have volunteered to continue Javabeans’ efforts to offer recaps to Dramabeans readers. So, in the next weeks, we’re hoping to share detailed recaps, thoughts and opinions on this little treasure of a drama.

Now a side note for Tamra: Unfortunately the powers of MBC decided to cut the original 20 episodes to 16 episodes and by Episode 10 we start seeing the weird effects of crazy editing to keep the storylines flowing. What we’re also hoping to do is recap the original episodes once the DVD release comes out. It’ll be interesting to do a comparison between the editions and look at how much more of the characters/plot/themes we see in an extra 4 hours of viewing time- watch this space!

Otherwise, it’s easy to write about Tamra retrospectively but this could spoil it for first time readers/watchers so we’ll try to recap as we watched it the first time round, keeping the surprises and discoveries fresh.

We really hope you enjoy the recaps; happy reading!

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Despite fan furor, the decision to cut Tamra the Island down to 16 episodes still stands, but the MBC drama will be exported abroad with its 20 episodes intact. This mirrors the scenario for MBC’s similarly chopped Strike Love, which was cut to 16 in Korea but exported to Japan with all its original episodes.

Because MBC’s decision came relatively late, Tamra’s production team will be working to cut the remaining material down to size for the remainder of its MBC run. The drama’s first ten episodes were aired intact; beginning with the upcoming weekend, however, Episodes 11 through 16 will show re-worked material of the story that had originally been planned for Episodes 11 to 20. Tamra the Island had filmed much of its show prior to broadcast, but not all of it; the production now has some extra time to complete the filming for the last several episodes according to their original plan, even though those portions will not air in Korea.

What a weird, illogical mess. I’m thinking that if you’re a fan, you may want to wait for the complete version from the overseas broadcasts. Or a DVD release. (The drama has been licensed to air in Japan, China, Hong Kong, and Thailand.)

The fans, meanwhile, are still furious and the campaign to save the show’s original vision is still raging; there are now more than 10,000 posts opposing the decision on the drama’s homepage and street protests have been organized. However, I doubt it will have an effect: If there was the least shot of getting MBC to change its mind, it was dashed over the weekend, when even in the midst of all this attention the drama failed to improve its 5% ratings. Sons of Sol Pharmacy, in the meantime, crushed its competitor as its story heads into its last phases, breaking the 40% ratings mark.

Via Hankyung

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Im Joo-hwan

When MBC announced that Tamra the Island was getting cut and ending early, they pissed off fans and even spurred them to publish a large ad in a daily newspaper protesting the decision. (As I said before, the ratings are low but this is a mania drama, meaning that the fans it has amassed are passionate — and vocal.)

The ad, which appeared on September 3, took the broadcasting industry to task for its vice of kowtowing to ratings numbers. It was organized and signed by members of the fan cafes for actors Hwang Chan-bin (who plays William) and Lee Sun-ho (who plays Yan).

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Funny and sweet. The characters are lively and the scenery continues to be gorgeous; the island setting and time period give this drama a bright dash of whimsy.

Like with Episode 1, there are still some rough patches, but on the whole I got a kick out of this episode. Seo Woo is not only bubbly and cute, she also shows some emotional layers and an ability to traverse the gamut of emotions at the drop of a hat. There’s also something quite sweet and innocent about her relationship to William as Beo-jin continues to take care of him.

SONG OF THE DAY

Eco Bridge – “서른 한번째 봄” (Thirty-first spring) [ Download ]

TAMRA THE ISLAND Episode 2 >>

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Here’s an article that takes a look at the growing trend of non-Korean actors being featured on television, which caught my eye because it talks about one of the leads in the new weekend comic drama Tamra the Island, which I’m enjoying.

“Foreigners on television are no longer unfamiliar”

On the 8th, viewers watching MBC’s new weekend drama Tamra the Island [탐나는도다] may have cocked their heads. That was because of the appearance of the lead French actor with the golden hair and blue eyes in the role of William. Hwang Chan-bin, birth name Pierre Deporte, is a Frenchman who attended high school in Korea. He couldn’t forget his home country and after graduating from university he returned to Korea and first met the public on the program Global Talk Show [aka Misuda, 미녀들의 수다], and now has even appeared in a television drama.

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