★★★☆☆
The 2018 Korean drama starring Moon
Chae-Won as Seon Ok-Nam, Yoon Hyun-Min as Jeong Yi-Hyeon, and Seo Ji-Hoon as
Kim Geum. Directed by Kim Yun-Cheol and written by Yoo Kyung-Soon, based on the
2017 webtoon of the same name. Also known as Tale of a Fairy, or Gyeryeong
Fairy.
Brief synopsis: 699 years ago, the fairy
Seon Ok-Nam lost her winged robe that left her stuck on earth, but she met a
nervous human woodcutter instead and totally fell for him. Their love was
short-lived but Seon Ok-Nam has waited among the mortal realm, searching for
his reincarnation while operating a coffee shop in rural Korea. One day, two
men stumble into her café, Professor Jeon Yi-Hyeon and TA Kim Geum, who both
seem special. Driven to find out if one of them is her long lost husband, Seon
Ok-Nam and her daughter follow them to Seoul with hopes of finding her winged
robe and a happy ending.
This drama has mixed reviews from viewers.
On one hand, the cast is fantastic and talent deserves to be recognized and the
plot effectively plays with our heads and emotions for all 16 episodes, but on
the other hand it fails and breaks our expectations so much coupled with so much CGI, that by the end of the
finale we’re still blinking at the blank screen wondering “What did I just
watch?”
Most of the material that makes the drama
difficult comes from three main sources:
1.
The insane love triangle. Really. This love triangle is on steroids.
Even into the final episode, even though we know who the real husband is, it
still isn’t very clear who the main love interest is. In fact, I’m still not
sure. Both men receive the same amount of emphasis.
2.
The weird intervals between humor
and feels. This drama can be adequately divided into two parts: the slap-stick
comedy and the emotions between Seon Ok-Nam, Jeong Yi-Hyeon, and Kim Geum. The
trade-offs between these parts are sometimes so imbalanced that the shifts look
inappropriate to the direction the drama is leading.
3.
The CGI. When I say CGI, I mean
Computer Graphic Imaging. CGI has its uses and with it we’re able to make
fantastic settings and props come to life on screen, but the main problem with
it in this drama is that the CGI editing is occasionally distractingly choppy and
the producers try to lay the technique on top of a contemporary-set romantic
comedy. This doesn’t mean that all the effects are bad (in fact, I was impressed
with the tiger effects on Kang Mina) but sometimes a little over-kill.
But there’s also plenty of things to love
about Mama Fairy and the Woodcutter.
Jeong Ji-Hyeon’s redemptive arc was
unexpected, but appreciated. The most emotional part of the drama is when the
South Dipper Star King forces Jeong Ji-Hyeon to watch the woman with acorn
porridge again and again until he must look outside himself and give in to
compassion. Doing so allows him to finally learn and understand the real reason
why Great Gate Star Lee Ji was cast out of the celestial realm. Sometimes we
may not really know how much kindness is invested around us until we step back
for a broader perspective.
 |
| Flower boy Seo Ji-Hoon as Kim Geum |
In episode 11, Seon Ok-Nam says to Jeong
Ji-Hyeon as she’s sharing a lunch box with him “Isn’t it delicious? This was
out of a kind desire to share delicious food with someone they like. It’s not
charity towards someone they pity. Neither are they giving it to you because
they want something in return. Isn’t it out of a loving desire to share good
memories? If you’re not used to this kind of feeling yet, just become used to
it in the future.” We all know someone who has difficulty accepting kind words
or actions. Perhaps it is none other than our very own selves. Accepting kind
words or actions might be difficult because we, like Jeong Ji-Hyeon, might not
really believe in kindness. But this drama tries to show all the Jeong Ji-Hyeons
out there that not far away there is a Seon Ok-Nam or Kim Geum willing to help
you along with a kind heart. So believe in kindness. This world is not as dark
and forsaken as some think.
To conclude, my eyes hurt but it was fun.
Watching it with close friends probably would have enhanced my experience. I
especially love the messages this drama sends and it was a cute idea (the
webtoon was probably more enjoyable), but it’s probably one of the weirdest kdramas
I’ve ever seen. It bears a similar mix of chaos and feels to My Only Love Song yet I’d still pick
that one over Mama Fairy and the
Woodcutter. But who knows. Maybe this drama will be a better experience for
you than it was for me! 3/5 stars.
Comments
Post a Comment