Two more episodes left…

It’s almost odd how Triple is nearing its end but doesn’t feel like it’s winding down. Perhaps that’s because it’s already so meandering to begin with, and I don’t mean that as an insult. It’s that this drama is SO slice-of-life that you almost don’t see an end in sight, because there’s no neat wrap-up for these stories. It’s like we started the drama mid-scene, so we may as well end it similarly and let the characters continue living out their everyday lives. This quality is, in my opinion, both Triple’s asset and its liability.

SONG OF THE DAY

Lee Seon-kyun – “소년” (Boy). This is Lee Seon-kyun’s re-recording of the 1993 Yoon Sang song originally sung by Kim Hyung-joong of EOS (original version here). I actually like the other version better as a song, but I do love Lee Seon-kyun’s voice in just about anything. [ Download ]

TRIPLE Episode 14 >>

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Only three more episodes to go…

I was watching this episode, again really pleased with the visual palette, the acting of Lee Jung-jae and his interactions with Min Hyo-rin, the cute and resilient Poong-ho, and the lovely music. And those attributes just irritated me even more with the story, because Triple really, really deserved a better plot. It has everything but story, but unfortunately, that’s really the only one thing that’s essential.

SONG OF THE DAY

Triple OST – “Feel Alright” by Zitten [ Download ]

TRIPLE Episode 13 >>

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It’s funny how I’ve actually enjoyed watching the individual episodes of Triple — and found myself smiling through a few scenes in this one, for example — but in the larger context, it all kind of blurs together. How can something be pleasant and yet also dull? Or be refreshing and yet fail to make any sort of lasting impression? It’s a curious contradiction.

SONG OF THE DAY

Triple OST – Zitten – “Because” [ Download ]

TRIPLE Episode 12 >>

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Triple is ending this week, and while I’ve enjoyed watching it, I’m finding that I’m in no rush to finish it. I think it’s because it feels like this series has been treading water for a while now. Yes, I understand that it’s a less-plot-driven, more slice-of-life sort of drama, but slice-of-life dramas still have to go somewhere. This meandering is both Triple’s charm and its weakness; on one hand, it IS refreshing to watch relationships unfold without necessarily knowing exactly how the ending will turn out. On the downside, however, this is still a television series on a broadcast station that relies on the attention of its audience to stay afloat.

SONG OF THE DAY

Sung Shi-kyung – “Baby You Are Beautiful” [ Download ]

TRIPLE Episode 11 >>

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There’s an odd quality about Triple for me, because as I’m watching (and writing about) the episodes, I enjoy them and the way certain relationships are being expressed. However, on the whole, I feel like the drama is losing some steam, and I’m not sure why that is.

I wonder if it’s because despite the fact that we viewers SAY we want unconventional and non-cliched relationships, when we get a drama like Triple where all the relationships are a bit fuzzy and not carved out in stone from the beginning, we start complaining that the relationships aren’t defined clearly enough. For instance, although we could see from Episode 1 that Hae-yoon and Sang-hee would be an eventual pairing, the other couples were murkier. You’d think that viewers would enjoy not having all the romantic pairs predetermined for once, but I think it’s actually irritated people who want, and expect, these romances to follow familiar patterns. So much for eschewing clichéd relationships!

(Then again, that can’t be the only issue; I think there are also other problems at work, which I’ll get to in a minute.)

SONG OF THE DAY

Mongoose (몽구) – “어떡해야 내 마음을 알까” (How Can I Let You Know How I Feel?). This one’s from the Triple OST. [ Download ]

Triple Episode 10 >>

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