This show is quickly starting to rival my favorite family comedies. It’s got a great sense of humor, and it’s not afraid to let characters make massive mistakes, with the understanding that we’re going to be along for the ride when they learn, change, and grow.

Now that I’m at the halfway-ish point, it’s time to check back in with Ojakkyo Brothers, to see how our little duckies are doing. This review covers Episodes 11 through 36 (Here’s 1-10 if you missed it), which is quite a chunk, but it’s really two big arcs for the main story: a stray little ducky waddles into their hearts, and then they get separated before realizing how much she’d already become a part of the family.

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Read the rest of Ojakkyo Brothers: Halftime report (4,286 words)

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Post tags: Choi Jung-yoon, featured, Joo-won, Jung Woong-in, Ojakkyo Brothers, Ryu Soo-young, UEE

One of the highest-rated shows of 2011 was actually one that we couldn’t include in the year-end reviews because of its length and that whole space-time continuum thing: the weekend family drama Ojakkyo Brothers, on KBS. I don’t normally pick up family dramas because I find it daunting to start a longer-running show. (I know, I have commitment issues.) But this weekend drama has been far ahead of the pack in the ratings game, and has gotten some rave reviews in Korea. So I decided to check it out, and see for myself if it was hype or well-deserved praise.

I’m ten episodes in, which isn’t very far considering the show’s been extended to 58 episodes. But so far it’s got a good premise, a great cast of characters, and lots of potential for both comedy and heart. Basically I’m just going to introduce the series and give you my first impressions, because while ten episodes might be most of a miniseries, here it’s just the beginning.

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Read the rest of Ojakkyo Brothers: An Introduction (3,313 words)

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Post tags: Choi Jung-yoon, featured, Joo-won, Jung Woong-in, Ojakkyo Brothers, Ryu Soo-young, UEE

So I never would’ve put my money on this, but this finale rocks. It’s not only adorable and as cute as always, but there’s actual conflict, and it’s good. (I KNOW!) So weird. What the hell were you doing for all those episodes, Show? Saving your wad for the big finale?

What’s nice is that it’s actually a solid episode with a singular arc, which SO many finales aren’t—most are cobbled-together, resolution bow-tying heaps of dung—but this one actually nailed the tone of the show in a great hour-long plot that made me wish we had gotten to this conflict sooner. Also, never thought I’d say this, but how much do I love Kim Tae-hee right now?

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Read the rest of My Princess: Episode 16 (Final) (3,633 words)

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Post tags: featured, Kim Tae-hee, My Princess, Park Ye-jin, Ryu Soo-young, Song Seung-heon

SO MUCH CUTENESS in this episode. It’s like the good ol’ days, which I wasn’t expecting so late in the game with all the monarchy stuff nearing resolution, but which I found refreshingly welcome. True, it’s a little low on story movement, but when you pit story movement against some majorly adorable Kim Tae-hee/Song Seung-heon couple antics, it’s no contest.

SONG OF THE DAY

Humming Urban Stereo – “넌그날” (You on that day) with actress Yoo Inna
[ Download ]

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Read the rest of My Princess: Episode 15 (2,773 words)

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Post tags: featured, Kim Tae-hee, My Princess, Park Ye-jin, Ryu Soo-young, Song Seung-heon

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! The Cute has returned! All hail the return of The Cute! Someone please, throw us a royal ball in The Cute’s honor. It’s the least you could do for dragging us through such nonsense and boredom. I mean, what’s a princess gotta do for a royal party up in this house?

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Read the rest of My Princess: Episode 14 (3,025 words)

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Post tags: featured, Kim Tae-hee, My Princess, Park Ye-jin, Ryu Soo-young, Song Seung-heon

We’re playing with some of the same plot points in this one, but at least we get some snuggle-bunny times for our princess and her bodyguard. Not a whole lot, but hey, I’ll take what I can get, since this couple’s cuteness is more than half of the drama’s sustaining life force. The remainder (for me, at least) is probably in the fun of hating the troublemakers, who are operating on a different plane of logic than the rest of us mortals and therefore require us to waste no time finding reasons to explain or justify their behavior. We can just hate ‘em.

SONG OF THE DAY

Park Hyo Shin – “눈물날려 그래” (Tears are falling) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of My Princess: Episode 13 (3,375 words)

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Post tags: featured, Kim Tae-hee, My Princess, Park Ye-jin, Ryu Soo-young, Song Seung-heon

Our couple gets backed into a corner, and everyone comes over with a bad case of Noble Idiocy. Well, everyone who has a heart. But thankfully Hae-young’s got it bad enough to go princess hunting. Which of course sends everyone else on the hunt as well. Who needs wabbits when it’s open season on princesses?

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Read the rest of My Princess: Episode 12 (2,853 words)

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Post tags: featured, Kim Tae-hee, My Princess, Park Ye-jin, Ryu Soo-young, Song Seung-heon

There’s something that just really works about this couple, for me. She’s a little dense and he’s got a pretty large noble streak — though he hasn’t crossed over to the dark side of idiocy, yet — but together, they’re just so cute. The why-we-Should-Not-Be conflict is credible (and harks back to that inescapable point of comparison, Roman Holiday), and because that roadblock is so substantial, the story allows for the two of them to be honest with each other about their feelings. (A pet peeve: When both sides like each other but stupidly keep everything to themselves, leading to Big Misunderstandings galore that aggravate me to no end.)

And when they both know how they feel — though they can’t act on it — there’s a sweetness to the way their feelings permeate their everyday (though veiled) interactions.

SONG OF THE DAY

Fanny Fink – “가장 아픈 사랑” (The most painful love) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of My Princess: Episode 11 (3,092 words)

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Post tags: featured, Kim Tae-hee, My Princess, Park Ye-jin, Ryu Soo-young, Song Seung-heon

Finally, a conflict I can get behind, that isn’t motivated by press conferences and public opinion. Hae-young spends the episode in a frustrated snit, but it leads him to finally make a choice, and forces Seol to face some harsh facts of her own. Is it Love or Country? Kisses or Kings? And why’s a girl gotta sell out her country to get some smooches up in here?

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Read the rest of My Princess: Episode 10 (3,070 words)

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Post tags: featured, Kim Tae-hee, My Princess, Park Ye-jin, Ryu Soo-young, Song Seung-heon

I’m still fully onboard My Princess, although people are starting to jump ship, as evidenced by this week’s drop in the ratings (it conceded the lead to Sign and only recorded a 12.1%, down from its high of more than 20%).

I can sort of understand why, given that there’s not as much comedy as there was in the first few episodes, as always happens in rom-coms around this point. If the romance were stagnant on top of that, I’d probably be growing bored, too, but I like the way the relationships keep shifting, never quite the same in one episode as they were in the one previous. For that alone, I’m happy.

SONG OF THE DAY

Every Single Day – “노을” (Sunset) from the My Princess OST. My favorite song from the soundtrack. [ Download ]

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Read the rest of My Princess: Episode 9 (3,874 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 225 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: featured, Kim Tae-hee, My Princess, Park Ye-jin, Ryu Soo-young, Song Seung-heon