When I first started watching cable drama Romance Hunter, it was mainly out of curiosity, since I hadn’t heard anything about it. (I was surfing clubboxes for something else, and the title caught my eye, so I downloaded it. I stumble across lots of things serendipitously like that, and it’s always a nice feeling when one sticks.) The first episode was mildly amusing — as I noted in a previous post, it was a little too similar to Sex and the City for me to find it completely engaging, but shallowly, I was intrigued by the actor who I guessed would become the main love interest. His character is all the stuff young women’s daydreams are made of (handsome, competent, gentle but not unmasculine, sensitive but not overly, with a hint of mystery), so it was enough to keep me going. (Caveat: Romance Hunter is probably a show that appeals directly to women, even more so than the typical romance dramas on broadcast TV. I won’t say men won’t like it, but it seems very heavily female-skewed, and intentionally so.)

But it was in Episode 5 that everything clicked into place, and hooked me. (Unfortunately, as Murphy’s Law dictates, I’d only had the first five episodes downloaded, so I was forced to stop and wait just when I was most interested in continuing.) The reason was, although the first four episodes were entertaining, the fifth was when the show seemed to shake off the SATC mantle and come into its own.

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Beautiful Romance - “아직도 난” (I still…) [ zShare download ]

 
ROMANCE HUNTER, through Episode 5 >>

Tags: cable dramas, Choi Jung-yoon, Romance Hunter

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I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while but it coincides with recent topics, so here goes.

I think there’s a prevalent (mistaken) perception — particularly if kdramas are a primary source of information — that Koreans are puritanical about sex. In my opinion, they really aren’t. There are traditional elements in the culture, of course (just thinking about discussing sex with family is a horrifying concept) — but it’s like that common misconception that every generation thinks it invented sex. What’s most conservative about Korea, perhaps, is the representation of sex in the media, but I think it would be short-sighted to assume the culture as a whole is some Victorian, pearl-clutching, bless-my-heart, faint-at-any-hint-of-indecency society.

To wit, I present exhibits A, B, and C: the kdramas (because it always comes back to dramas!) Coffee Prince, Hyena, and Romance Hunter. Yes, I know dramas aren’t a complete or accurate representation of society, but I think it’s worth pointing out that there’s a spectrum here, too.

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Roller Coaster - “Love Virus” [ Download ]

“The Sex and the City Effect” >>

Tags: cable dramas, Choi Jung-yoon, Coffee Prince, Hyena, Oh Man-seok, Romance Hunter

Filed under: Drama Casting & News by javabeans - 49 Comments →