Another drama is getting the stage musical treatment, and this is an interesting choice: 2008′s intense thriller series La Dolce Vita, which starred Lee Dong-wook and Oh Yeon-soo in an adulterous affair (with Park Shi-yeon and Jung Bo-seok playing the other two in the respective relationships).

The drama was praised for its strong acting and dark ambiance, as well as film-level production values. There have been a handful of other dramas that have been turned into stage musicals, which include show-biz-themed On Air, vampire comedy Hello, Franceska, a Seon-deok spinoff centered around the Hwarang soldiers, and fairy-tale romantic comedy Goong. A number of films have also made the transition. Still, I say this is an interesting choice because this doesn’t immediately seem like a natural fit for a musical treatment (unlike, say, 200 Pound Beauty, which makes the jump easily since the film already incorporated a music-related storyline), and I’m curious to know if the play will be able to convey the drama’s style and feel.

The production has cast its stars, and while the actors are mostly active in the musical world, some are branching out into screen roles as well. For instance, cast member Jung Min will also be seen in the upcoming Gong Yoo–Im Soo-jung movie Finding Kim Jong-wook (he plays the Kim Jong-wook of whom the others are in pursuit), while Kim Jin-woo will be seen in MBC’s war epic Road No. 1, which he is currently shooting.

The musical version of La Dolce Vita premieres on July 14, and tickets go on sale later this month.

Via DongA

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2010. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: La Dolce Vita, musicals

The K-drama world rolled into 2008 still riding the high that was 2007, a year in which a startling number of quality dramas were made, and enjoyed. Maybe it rolled in too fast. It ended up getting smothered by the waves of its previous success. In fact, you could say that it even got hit on the head by a stray surfboard, and sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

Depressing enough intro for ya?

But seriously, 2008 was a dark year for the K-entertainment industry, with not only dramas, but also movies suffering and generally showing poor quality. And not only that, but the economy went kablooie, and we suffered a sobering amount of tragic K-celebrity news.

Personally, this was a supremely frustrating year for a longtime and devoted K-drama fan like me. Before this year, I always gave dramas the benefit of the doubt, and would usually watch at least a certain number of episodes before I passed judgment on them, and decided to continue or discontinue watching. But this year, with every stomach-churning dud, I became more and more impatient, and started going through drama episodes like a vulture searching for roadkill. And boy, did I find a lot of roadkill.

I’m pretty sure 2008 was a record year for me in terms of abandoning dramas. And to think that I used to be the girl who would finish every drama she started, no matter how bad or how boring they were! But the older I get, the less patience I have, and the more critical I become. Besides, I’ve now realized just how precious my time really is. I don’t want to waste it on useless pap, thankyouverymuch.

Still, despite all that, there were a small handful of quality dramas this year. None of them quite matched the heights of some of the dramas of 2007, but still, any kind of quality was more than welcome in this gloomy year.

SONG OF THE DAY

La Dolce Vita – “사랑 꽃” (Love Flower) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Dahee Fanel’s 2008 Review [Year in Review, Part 3] (4,255 words)

© Dahee_Fanel for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 60 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Star's Lover, Beethoven Virus, East of Eden, I Love You, Iljimae, Kingdom of Wind, La Dolce Vita, My Sweet Seoul, On Air, Rivals, Spotlight, Strongest Chil Woo, Tazza, The Painter of Wind, The World They Live In, When Night Comes, Who Are You?, year in review

How should one convey bad news in writing? By creating a buffer first. Avoid traumatizing your audience with the bad news all at once, but instead cushion the blow so that you can maintain goodwill. That textbook approach (business communication, by the way) would be dandy if the crop of 2008 dramas I watched was anything like the stellar quality of 2007. But no, this was a harvest to make one downright grumpy.

This time last year, eight dramas vied to be in my Top 3. Even the ones that disappointed weren’t half bad and at least I finished them. Not this year. I picked up around twenty dramas and dropped at least fifteen. “Dropped” is putting it mildly. I ran from some of them like a kid fleeing an apparition: hands in the air and hair standing on end. As the year wore on, my patience wore thin and my grumpiness increased.

So, no, I can’t use the buffer approach when reviewing this year’s dramas. Hedging doesn’t work for this grumpy cookie. I will present to you the worst dramas first, followed by the so-so ones, and then the few gems of 2008. Even though the year was overcast and gloomy, the sun broke through the clouds occasionally and when it did the effect was glorious. Let’s get the bad news out of the way and we can enjoy the good stuff, shall we?

SONG OF THE DAY

Jin Yi-han – “This is the Moment” which he sang (live!) in Episode 3 of Who Are You. [ Download ]

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Read the rest of A Grump Reviews 2008 [Year in Review, Part 2] (4,881 words)

© thunderbolt for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 89 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beethoven Virus, Bulhandang/Robbers, Conspiracy in the Court, East of Eden, Gourmet, Hong Gil Dong, I Love You, Kingdom of Wind, La Dolce Vita, On Air, One Mom, Rivals, Strongest Chil Woo, The Last Scandal of My Life, The Painter of Wind, The World They Live In, Three Dads, Who Are You?, year in review

Lee Dong-wook falls (way, way) down in a scene for the upcoming finale for La Dolce Vita (The Sweet Life) airing this weekend. If you’ve seen the first five minutes of the series, you can kind of predict how this scene plays out. In the drama, this scene shot in the studio supposedly takes place from the penthouse of a luxury 32-story apartment complex.

MBC Broadcast Center, Magic Studio, Yoido.

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: La Dolce Vita, Lee Dong-wook

 
The following article from OSEN takes a look at the difference between the types of dramas on the air these days. I find a lot of mainstream entertainment press to be oversimplified (I’m sure I’m just not looking in the right places), but it’s something to chew on, for those of us who are curious about the relationship between ratings and the popularity/quality/success of a drama — as much as we all like to say it doesn’t matter.

Popular Dramas, Buzzworthy Dramas — There’s a Difference

There are dramas that bring in high viewership ratings but don’t get talked about much. On the other hand, there are also dramas that don’t pull in strong ratings numbers but are constantly being discussed. A drama’s content, actors, and its PR are all potential factors in drawing attention, but they don’t necessarily correlate to good ratings. Because there are many ways to watch a drama these days, the significance of ratings is gradually receding, but it’s still the primary factor in deciding advertising, and is the standard for measuring popularity. …

SONG OF THE DAY

Gourmet OST – “너에게” (To you) by Casker. I’m still trying to catch up on Gourmet, but for now I will say it has a standout soundtrack. [ Download ]

 
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Read the rest of Popular vs. buzzworthy dramas (1,537 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 34 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: drama ratings, Gourmet, Iljimae, La Dolce Vita, Lee Dong-wook, manhwa adaptations, mania dramas, My Sweet Seoul, Oh Yeon-soo, Sohn Ye-jin, Spotlight, Strongest Chil Woo, When Night Comes, You're My Destiny

I was thinking how I’ve been watching lots of first episodes of dramas these days, but haven’t found anything to dive into since the end of Who Are You? It’s starting to feel like going on a string of disappointing first dates — measuring up expectations versus performance, anticipation versus letdown, etc.

You know, there’s that date you’re really looking forward to, so you get dressed up and put on your heels and makeup and count down the hours, and he turns out to be a total dud. Or the date you agreed to because it was easier to give the guy your number than to try to invent an excuse not to because those excuses always come out embarrassingly half-assed — like you say you don’t have a phone and then it rings, or something — but then you end up having a good time.

I didn’t exactly intend to go off on an extended metaphor, but when I thought about all the recent dramas I’ve caught, they all seemed to fit (more or less).

SONG OF THE DAY

G.O.D. – “Falling” [ Download ]

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Read the rest of First-date dramas (1,378 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 111 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bulhandang/Robbers, Coffee Prince, Hong Gil Dong, I Love You, Iljimae, La Dolce Vita, On Air, ranty/ravey, Rivals, Spotlight, The Last Scandal of My Life, Tokyo Showers, Who Are You?, Why Did You Come To Our House, Yi San

I think I’m pretty fair with drama ratings, in that I don’t add anything to my Ratings Chart that I have not watched in its entirety. If I have not seen every single episode of a drama, I don’t think I’m qualified to give a totally objective opinion on it, so I refrain. That’s why there are a lot of series missing from that list, although I HAVE seen many, many more series than those named; I just haven’t finished them and therefore won’t grade them.

Fair enough, yeah?

Of course, that doesn’t mean I won’t ever weigh in with my opinions on a drama at any given point in its run — I just won’t couch it as a comprehensive review. For instance? I still hate On Air. I still think Three Dads, One Mom is benign but dumbed-down. And I still am totally comfortable skipping shows that are supposedly good that don’t somehow grab me on a more gut level. Because enjoying something with my brain is only fun when I’m also enjoying with my emotions. (The converse = also true.)

Here are a few shows I’ve started but have, for one reason or another, put on the back burner. Think I should continue? (Or drop?) Let me have it.

SONG OF THE DAY

Why Did You Come To Our House OST – “다시 시작해” (Start Over) [ Download ]

 
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Read the rest of Dramas currently on hold (1,253 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 53 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: I Love You, La Dolce Vita, Spotlight, Why Did You Come To Our House

• Jang Dong Gun recently revealed in an entertainment program segment that he’d taken a minimum fee for acting in art-house director Kim Ki-duk‘s The Coast Guard in 2002. At the time (and now too) Jang commanded top dollar — several million dollars per film — but gave it up because he felt it was part of an actor’s job to appear in such films (as in, lower-budget, artistic focus). And it sure paid off.
• Kim Rae Won is scheduled to appear in upcoming drama Gourmet, but is cramming in a ton of CF jobs first: aside from advertising for Chung Jung Won (food), Hang Ten (clothing) and Rinnai (appliances), he’s also in talks for apartments and telecom contracts. Capitalizing on Gourmet‘s buzz, I see. The series premieres June 16.
• With Lee Seung Gi cast in MBC’s Iljimae (not to be confused with Lee Junki’s drama on SBS), rumors are swirling that he’ll quit his current role on KBS’s variety show 1 Night 2 Days. Producers are saying talk of his departure is premature; facts are as yet unknown with Iljimae‘s production schedule still unreleased.
• Clazziquai’s Alex is taking on a radio DJ spot for MBC FM4U program Blue Night, hosted for the past two and a half years by singer Sung Shi Kyung. Alex has been busy working on his solo album, and takes over the show at the end of the month. Sung Shi Kyung leaves his spot on the show to begin activities for his upcoming sixth album, to go on sale late May or June.
• Looks like The Sweet Life (La Dolce Vita) starring Lee Dong Wook and Oh Yeon Soo is headed into mania drama territory. The new drama dropped significantly from its predecessor Last Scandal of My Life‘s healthy ratings and is fighting to stay afloat despite its promoted “racy” bed scene between the two leads (episode 3 posted 6.9% ratings against First Wives’ Club‘s hefty 27.8%). With the drama’s dark tone, that doesn’t surprise me.
• Apparently recording while rapping causes extraneous rustling noises, leading Tablo to develop a habit of recording “almost totally unclothed.” I’ll let you think about that some more on your own.

 
SONG OF THE DAY

MC Mong – “내 맘속 사랑을 죽이다” (Killing love in my heart) [ Download ]

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• There there, I’ll make it better
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• The closest thing to a real Korean world star
• More delays for Lee Seung Gi’s Iljimae
• Alex pretending to be Tablo

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 27 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Alex, Jang Dong-gun, Kim Rae-won, La Dolce Vita, Lee Seung-gi, mania dramas, Tablo

Finally, Lee Dong Wook fans can see him back on television! After rising to stardom in the romantic comedy series My Girl, he’s focused mostly on films and kept a relatively low profile; this will be his first television project in more than two years — and he appears with another My Girl co-star (although probably not the one fans most would like to see him with again), Park Shi Yeon.

The upcoming weekend drama The Sweet Life takes the place of MBC’s just-wrapped Last Scandal of My Life, and held its press conference on the 29th. In the drama, Oh Yeon Soo and Jung Bo Seok are a married couple whose lives become complicated in mystery and drama with the appearance of the Lee Dong Wook–Park Shi Yeon couple. Lee Dong Wook’s character goes to Japan on a trip and chances to meet Oh Yeon Soo’s housewife character; the two “fall in passionate love.”

While filming in the snowy mountains of Hokkaido in February, he’d experienced temporary paralysis of the limbs and had difficulty breathing. “I saw white lights and thought, ‘I’m going to die like this,’” he added. It was the result of filming for eight hours in subzero temperature — 16 degrees below zero, Celsius — at an elevation of above 3,000 meters, and sent Lee Dong Wook to the hospital.

Reuniting with his My Girl onscreen girlfriend after two years, Lee Dong Wook explained that it was comfortable having a familiar face around (ooh, holding back a face joke here), particularly at first because the other two leads were older and new acquaintances.

(A note on the title: I’ve seen this translated as “Bittersweet Life,” which may be because its Korean name shares a title with the Lee Byung Heon movie which was translated as “bittersweet,” probably in an ironic twist on the literal meaning. But it actually means “sweet,” and the promo poster bears the subtitle “La Dolce Vita,” so I think “The Sweet Life” may be more appropriate. Even though they may be using irony here too. In any case, the main website uses “sweet” over “bittersweet.”)

The Sweet Life films under the direction of PD Kim Jin Min of Shin Don and writer Jung Ha Yeon of Shin Don, Wife, Queen Myeongseong. It premieres this weekend on MBC.

Via OSEN
Official drama site: http://www.imbc.com/broad/tv/drama/sweet/index.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Fanny Fink – “Sweet” [ Download ]

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 59 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: La Dolce Vita, Lee Dong-wook, Oh Yeon-soo, Park Shi-yeon