★★★★★
The 2019 Korean drama starring Kim Jae-Wook
as Ryan Gold/Heo Yoon-Je, Park Min-Young as Seong Deok-Mi, Ahn Bo-Hyun as Nam
Eun-Gi, Park Jin-Joo as Lee Seon-Joo, and Jung Jae-Won “One” as Cha Si-An.
Directed by Hong Jong-Chan and written by Kim Hye-Young. 16 episodes, at 60
minutes apiece. Based on Noona Fan Dot
Com by Kim Sung-Yeon.
Brief summary: Seong Deok-Mi is a
successful art museum curator on the outside, but on the inside she hides a
secret life as a committed fangirl of Cha Si-An, the leader of the kpop group
White Ocean. Ryan Gold comes to Korea as the new director of the museum, but he
and Seong Deok-Mi are unlikely to get along. When the two of them get to
feature an exhibit of Cha Si-An’s personal art collection, Deok-Mi’s stress
levels escalate as she tries to hide her fanaticism! As false rumors heat up
her professional relationship with the singer, Ryan figures that the best way
to fix it is for Deok-Mi to pretend to be in a relationship with himself. But
as Ryan spends more time with Seong Deok-Mi, he finds himself more and more
drawn to her. Just like a fanboy.
This drama is a fun ride of creative
portrayal and a heartwarming love story! There were so many creative elements
that made this drama fantastic, from lines to characters, mood and colors to
cinematography.
Most of us can agree that Seong Deok-Mi’s
line in episode 3 could be the most memorable of the entire show: “No matter
how shabby, compared to those paintings hung elegantly on the wall, I am great.
Because I am alive and living like this.” How is a painting more important or
amazing than a living person? Even if we compared ourselves to DaVinci’s Secret of the Mona Lisa, or
Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, we’d still be much more impressive if only
because we are alive. Deok-Mi’s thought has a lot of depth and reminds us that
we are amazing works of art.
And yet Deok-Mi also hits us with “Morning
is a tactless bast***.” A line I think everyone can appreciate on a different
level!
Although Deok-Mi is so easy to relate to as
a character, other characters make our heads turn as well. Eun-Gi is a
second-leading male that definitely didn’t deserve that second-leading male
misery. But he’s more than just a guy with an unrequited crush. His thoughts in
episode 12 echo my own: “Why would I want to see someone that doesn’t want to
see me?” On one hand we have Ryan Gold who hasn’t given up on finding his
family, but on the other hand we have Eun-Gi who shows that a person can still
be successful and move on no matter who he might lose in life.
I can’t help but be excited that Cha Si-An
was played by Jung Jae-Won, also known as “One” from 1Punch. A kpop character
played by a real kpop artist! Jung Jae-Won proved talented in this more
involved role compared to his previous acting experiences. He’s bright and
bubbly, yet influential to the plot. I love it!
Although we might think that Hyo-Jin is
just an annoying rival in the beginning, she also contributes much more to the
drama than we expected as she becomes a true, independent character in episode
12. She found something she actually wanted to do, instead of just being the
daughter of a wealthy family. The depth she develops helps make the ending so
satisfactory!
Beyond all the character depth, the drama’s
strength also comes from production technique. There’s a lot of warm coloration
to create a playful mood. I didn’t have many expectations for creativity, but I
am still impressed by how the production team integrated the online chat room
into the drama. Seeing the participants of the chatroom in a space of internet
avatars like that gives us much more understanding of Deok-Mi’s work as a fan
and of how her website allows Ryan to grow closer to her.
Ryan’s idea that “cowards are the ones who
don’t apologize” makes our heads turn. It’s said in the negative, but it
suggests that apologizing is a characteristic of bravery. Ryan’s character is
impressive all on its own but he’s also relatable in his own way. Finally, I
see my own reaction to Go-Stop represented in a K-drama! Never thought that
would happen!
This drama is full of beautiful reminders
and hope. A reminder that digital art is art too, and a reminder that sometimes
we might need help finding our groove or doing things we used to do well. I can’t
think of a better drama to give you the good feels and the experience of a
perfect romantic comedy. 5/5 stars!
P.S. The fact that Seong Deok-Mi is 33 and
still fangirling gives me hope for my future!
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