SBS is a couple weeks from airing its new Wednesday-Thursday drama OB-GYN [산부인과 여의사], starring Jang Seo-hee, the recent Daesang winner for her role in Wife’s Temptation.

I hadn’t even known that Song Joong-ki was cast in this, which is news that has me conflicted; I love him and find him adorable, but I have no great desire to watch this drama, which takes the timeslot over from Will It Snow For Christmas against Chuno and The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry. He takes a supporting role here as a second-year resident.

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Done! Finally!

I’m pretty conflicted about Triple’s end — part of that has to do with the plot, but it’s more to do with the drama as a whole. More on that below.

SONG OF THE DAY

Triple OST – “짙은 바람” by Sub [ Download ]

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TRIPLE Episode 16 >>

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Will It Snow For Christmas hasn’t (yet?) incorporated a snow motif into the drama proper, but the producers have been hosting a tie-in event for the drama’s fans. They had promised that if it snowed anywhere in Korea over Christmas Eve or Christmas day, they would select winners to go on a “date” with the drama’s stars, Go Soo and Han Ye-seul.

Well, it snowed, so now they’re selecting the lucky winners. To be eligible in the event, a corner had been set up on the drama’s website (http://tv.sbs.co.kr/christmas) where fans could post up stories about their most memorable Christmases. Over the month that the drama has been airing, approximately 900 stories have been posted, and now the producers are judging the entries.

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I admit I approached Triple recaps with a bit of a “Let’s get this over with, sigh” attitude, but rewatching this episode reminded me of all the little touches that I enjoyed about it. I’ve been meaning to finish off this drama for ages, and never entertained the idea of dropping it. (Whereas, in contrast, I had to actively throw up my hands in frustration with My Sweet Seoul and A Star’s Lover because I just couldn’t keep going.) I feel bad about the delay because Triple is such an inoffensive show, and there are things I quite like about it, but I do think there are some fundamental issues that hindered it from being more — more memorable, more substantial, just more.

SONG OF THE DAY

Triple OST – “사랑은 지고 달빛은 빛나고” by Low-End Project [ Download ]

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TRIPLE Episode 15 >>

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I have said many a time that I dislike melodrama — as a genre, as a plot device, as a storytelling crutch. Excessive melodrama is what makes makjang dramas popular, but it drives me batty because I hate when stories are emotionally manipulative just for the sake of being emotionally manipulative.

This, of course, excludes quality melodramas. And Will It Snow for Christmas? has all the makings of a true quality melodrama. It displays the hallmarks of the genre, but rather than throwing a barrage of horrible circumstances at its characters in a mess of tragedy porn, the story is rooted in well-crafted and well-thought-out characters.

I reserve the right to change my mind once the adult storylines get going in earnest, because I have often been enthralled with childhood flashbacks and then lose interest when the adults take over. So this drama isn’t yet a home run. But if the rest of the drama shows these characters in as strongly developed a light as in first two episodes, we’re in for a great ride. What a great return project for Go Soo.

SONG OF THE DAY

Kim Sarang – “비 오는 날” (Rainy Day). I LOVE THIS SONG. [ Download ]

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WILL IT SNOW FOR CHRISTMAS? Episodes 1-2 >>

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