W / Two Worlds 더블유
★★★★★
The 2016 Korean drama on MBC, starring Lee Jong-Suk as Kang Cheol and Han Hyo-Joo as Oh Yeon-Joo.
Brief synopsis: Oh Yeon-Joo is a medical student trying to make it through her residency when her dad, the author of the popular "W" comic book, goes missing. When she checks his work space for clues, she finds out her father's plans for W- he wants to kill off the main character Kang Cheol. Oh Yeon-Joo is taken completely off guard when a hand reaches through the screen of her father's drawing tablet and pulls her inside! Next thing she knows, she's on the roof of a strange building and must use her skills to save the life of the person on the ground, Kang Cheol! She becomes a character both in the comic book world and in the real world, hopping between them (well, more like being dragged between them). Kang Cheol becomes very interested in this girl that saved his life, but that apparently can disappear and reappear and has no identity in his world. Things could get a bit more dicey if the two of them start to depend on each other, if Kang Cheol becomes self-aware, and if we add a vicious serial killer to the mix!
This drama maintained top viewer ratings in its time slot the entire time it aired. Pulling it off took a lot of creativity. Not gonna lie: this drama is deep. There's a lot of sudden turns in the plot that keep you gasping throughout. Sometimes it seems that the drama is about Kang Cheol becoming self-aware, but then other times it seems that it is about Oh Yeon-Joo's feelings for him. It definitely plays around different genres- fantasy, sci-fi, romantic comedy, and then a fair dose of horror.
However much it plays around, there is a decent development. The story gradually pulls you deeper and deeper until the real climax is achieved in the very end (That's right! Don't be fooled by the third to lasts episode!). "W" is definitely worth the watch if only for that. It's not so much push and pull along a stagnant line as it is a roller coaster of emotions that just falls deeper and deeper into the story.
"W" has a lot of "skinship" for a kdrama. By that, I mean there's lots of cutesy relationship moments and kissing. I can recommend it for all the ladies out there sick of watching closed-lip+open-eyed typical kdrama smooches.
The acting in "W" is pretty fantastic. Lee Jong-Suk seems to always do a magnificent job, no matter what drama he's in. Han Hyo-Joo sometimes required a little patience on my part. Her character was supposed to be as normal as the next girl- the drama is about bridging reality and a comic book. However, it seemed she frequently fell into lapses of acting like a boring drama heroine, the kind without weakness and the expressions tend to seem a little forced. But at least Oh Yeon-Joo's character isn't too dull or naive. She could probably survive in a Jason Bourne movie!
The character that I felt the most compassion for was Park Soo-Bong. Poor Soo-Bong. All he wanted to do was earn a living drawing for the "W" comic, but got wrapped into the craziness of the world hopping of the main characters. It must be true: the secondary characters frequently tend to be the ones that really take most of the responsibilities. He was there when crazy stuff happened and he just had to believe it and adjust to it. I think Soo-Bong could have gotten a lot more credit for his role. 😊
I highly recommend "W!" It's thought-provoking in addition to excellent story line and acting!
★★★★★
The 2016 Korean drama on MBC, starring Lee Jong-Suk as Kang Cheol and Han Hyo-Joo as Oh Yeon-Joo.
Brief synopsis: Oh Yeon-Joo is a medical student trying to make it through her residency when her dad, the author of the popular "W" comic book, goes missing. When she checks his work space for clues, she finds out her father's plans for W- he wants to kill off the main character Kang Cheol. Oh Yeon-Joo is taken completely off guard when a hand reaches through the screen of her father's drawing tablet and pulls her inside! Next thing she knows, she's on the roof of a strange building and must use her skills to save the life of the person on the ground, Kang Cheol! She becomes a character both in the comic book world and in the real world, hopping between them (well, more like being dragged between them). Kang Cheol becomes very interested in this girl that saved his life, but that apparently can disappear and reappear and has no identity in his world. Things could get a bit more dicey if the two of them start to depend on each other, if Kang Cheol becomes self-aware, and if we add a vicious serial killer to the mix!
This drama maintained top viewer ratings in its time slot the entire time it aired. Pulling it off took a lot of creativity. Not gonna lie: this drama is deep. There's a lot of sudden turns in the plot that keep you gasping throughout. Sometimes it seems that the drama is about Kang Cheol becoming self-aware, but then other times it seems that it is about Oh Yeon-Joo's feelings for him. It definitely plays around different genres- fantasy, sci-fi, romantic comedy, and then a fair dose of horror.
However much it plays around, there is a decent development. The story gradually pulls you deeper and deeper until the real climax is achieved in the very end (That's right! Don't be fooled by the third to lasts episode!). "W" is definitely worth the watch if only for that. It's not so much push and pull along a stagnant line as it is a roller coaster of emotions that just falls deeper and deeper into the story.
"W" has a lot of "skinship" for a kdrama. By that, I mean there's lots of cutesy relationship moments and kissing. I can recommend it for all the ladies out there sick of watching closed-lip+open-eyed typical kdrama smooches.
The acting in "W" is pretty fantastic. Lee Jong-Suk seems to always do a magnificent job, no matter what drama he's in. Han Hyo-Joo sometimes required a little patience on my part. Her character was supposed to be as normal as the next girl- the drama is about bridging reality and a comic book. However, it seemed she frequently fell into lapses of acting like a boring drama heroine, the kind without weakness and the expressions tend to seem a little forced. But at least Oh Yeon-Joo's character isn't too dull or naive. She could probably survive in a Jason Bourne movie!
The character that I felt the most compassion for was Park Soo-Bong. Poor Soo-Bong. All he wanted to do was earn a living drawing for the "W" comic, but got wrapped into the craziness of the world hopping of the main characters. It must be true: the secondary characters frequently tend to be the ones that really take most of the responsibilities. He was there when crazy stuff happened and he just had to believe it and adjust to it. I think Soo-Bong could have gotten a lot more credit for his role. 😊
I highly recommend "W!" It's thought-provoking in addition to excellent story line and acting!
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