Upcoming drama Scent of a Woman stars Kim Sun-Ah and Lee Dong-wook and premieres July 23.
Kim Sun-Ah dramas are always highly anticipated – she’s been on pretty much a nonstop roll ever since Kim Sam Soon, and her last drama, City Hall (I almost wrote City Hunter, someone’s got that drama on her mind!) was a particular hit. After City Hall she took a two-year hiatus from dramas. This is also Lee Dong-wook’s return to dramas after his two-year stint in the military, so this drama features two huge stars both coming off hiatuses. Lee Dong-wook’s star doesn’t shine quite as brightly as Kim Sun-Ah’s – like her, he’s mostly famous for an earlier classic, My Girl, but his last drama before the military was 2009′s Partner, which drew very low ratings for its high-profile casting (a pity, because I loved that drama – very low-key, but so perfectly acted and great chemistry between Kim Hyun Joo and Lee Dong-wook). Nonetheless, he’s still a pretty big star, mostly for My Girl and La Dolce Vita.
Confession: I don’t really like Kim Sun Ah. In fact, I started out loving both Kim Sam-soon and City Hall, and ended up hating them with the passion of a thousand suns by about halfway through (especially the latter). After City Hall, I swore to myself that I’d never watch another Kim Sun Ah drama – she always plays the same character (one I dislike) and seems to have a knack for picking dramas I will hate.
But then she had to go and get cast with Lee Dong-wook, who is one of my top two actors along with Jang Hyuk. In fact, since laying claim to favored actors is popular on drama blogs (I know Javabeans has her Kang Ji Hwan), I’m just going to come right out and say it: Lee Dong-wook is MINE. Hands off – those melty brown eyes and crooked half-smile and perfect hands are alll mine.
Anyway, suffice to say I have mixed feelings about the casting, but on the positive side, both Kim Sun Ah and Lee Dong-wook have that intangible gift which some actors have of creating fiery chemistry with their co-stars, no matter who those co-stars might be. Kang Ji Hwan and Yoon Eun Hye both have it, particularly Yoon Eun Hye, and look what happened when they got paired together – sparks of almost never-before-seen intensity. So on that level at least I’m looking forward to this drama. Kim Sun Ah was the writer’s first choice for the role.
Back to the drama. The bad news is that it’s written by Noh Ji Sul, who wrote Dr. Champ. That drama was beautifully shot but the plot was distinctly lacking – unimaginative and predictable. If she follows that trend in this drama then it will be yet another vehicle unworthy of its gifted stars with their fiery chemistry (aka Lady Castle, Lie to Me, and too many other dramas).
The plot centers around Lee Yeon Jae (Kim Sun Ah), an ordinary office worker who finds out that she’d dying of a terminal disease (is it cancer or is it leukemia?? The wondering, it kills me). After she finds out, from what I can tell, she decides to live it up as much as she can before dying, which is how this drama can be billed as a romantic comedy despite being about a dying woman. Lee Dong Wook is the wealthy (of course) heir to a travel company who falls for her.
Eom Ki Joon plays Kim’s icy doctor who also falls for her, while Seo Hyo-rom is Lee’s upper-crust fiancee through an arranged marriage. Apparently her character once loved an ordinary man (she stooped to it? What is the blueblood class coming too??), only to realize that he was really after her money. She puts up a tough fight when her fiancee begins to fall for another woman.
I find the plot interesting because it seems to me that there’s been a trend in the past two years of dramas which take the basic plot of the classic romantic drama such as Lovers in Paris, and update it for the 21st century. They take a wealthy chaebol and a very poor woman, make them fall in love, and create a drama in which most of the plot is driven by class conflict. This is of course the plot of a very high percentage of dramas anyway, but the difference is that these dramas seem to be combining the high romantic tropes of the older classic dramas with the breezy, more openly sexual tone of modern romantic comedies. In this category I would put both Secret Garden and Lie to Me. Ji Woon and – in Secret Garden had a dynamic straight out of Winter Sonata or Lovers in Paris, only with much more overt physical chemistry. And the scene in Lie to Me where Ki-Joon treats – to a candlelit dinner in the ballroom of his hotel felt very much like a throwback to older dramas, right down to the cliched, overtly romantic dialogue (a scene which was actually, in my opinion, slightly at odds with the breezy, modern tone of the rest of the drama).
Scent of a Woman is a weekend drama, but fortunately only 16 episodes.
Categories: Recaps & Reviews Tags: drama trends, Kdramas, Kim Sun Ah, Lee Dong Wook, Partner, Scent of a Woman, Scent of a woman kdrama, upcoming dramas, upcoming Kdramas
Tori Ramsdell July 8th, 2011 12:00 pm
I love that actress she is the best…
Aniron Dela Rosa July 8th, 2011 12:00 pm
can’t wait!
Tori Ramsdell July 8th, 2011 12:15 pm
To the person who wrote the review. I love this actress and City Hall was brilliantly written. We all have our preferences but I laughed so hard I cried when watching city hall The chemistry between Kim Suh-ah Go Juk and I admire Kim Suh-Ah cha seung-won is undeniable. She plays difficult and complex characters that most actresses could not even imagine playing. They might type cast her bit but every role she has playe she has played it top notch, at the very least we will not be bored with this new drama.
Rene McKenzie Foley July 8th, 2011 12:18 pm
I just love her!!! can’t wait to see it ^^
Yeymi Patiño July 8th, 2011 12:49 pm
Finaly Lee Dong- Wook is back
!!
judith July 8th, 2011 2:36 pm
I understand not appreciating the genius of Kim Sun Ah but , to me, she’s I Love Lucy, Meg Ryan etc rolled into one creative actress/comedian. Her timing, her willingness to allow herself to portray “anywoman” heavy set, thin, desperate, hysterical, buffoon, makes her the Best in the World- not just Korea. If she was the second choice it’s just because they thought they couldn’t get her. If she’d done the one about the female rock group, it would have been a classic- she’s a classical pianist and musician and has a good voice. So, I hope the writers can overcome their weaknesses and match the script with two very gifted lead actors. Fighting !
On another unequal as to talent note- I stopped watching “Sparkling” because of Yoo Ri. Looking at her face of plastic surgery gone wrong and her boring personality the same one in every drama I’ve seen her in- basic personality does shine through if you’re a lousy actor.
Claire Hellar July 8th, 2011 4:11 pm
I agree actually that Kim Sun Ah is a very good actress, I just hate the roles & often the dramas that she chooses. But I’m hoping that Lee Dong Wook and a good script will finally make me like another of her dramas (the only one I did thoroughly enjoy was When It’s a Night, which started out really slow and became very entertaining).
Terry Cardenas July 8th, 2011 4:38 pm
She’s the best in any role she takes… Definitely, I just can’t wait to see both Kim Sun-Ah and Lee Dong-wook (he’s too cute) together in this new drama.
skelly July 8th, 2011 9:11 pm
Interesting perspective! It’s the first time I’ve come across a Kim Sun Ah hater. I’m on the opposite side here, I’ve liked all of her dramas, and City Hall is my all-time favorite.
Cynthia July 9th, 2011 4:56 pm
Move over, Claire – I’m riding the same bus as you. Kim Sun Ah may be a good actress but I find it irritating to watch her. It’s almost like she’s over-acting in any given scene. I find her reactions very studied and obvious when I’m waiting for a more nuanced performance. I stopped watching City Hall for that very reason, along with When It’s Night (I’m happy you liked it – I thought it was ridiculous).
So, good luck to her in this new “Am-I-Gonna-Die-Or-Not?” kdrama. BTW – didn’t Queen Latifa already do this?
judith July 9th, 2011 8:06 pm
Responding the anti SunAh fans in the best spirit. Have you watched “Samsoon” lately ? I can’t think of any kdrama actresses willing to gain 30 lbs to play and express the plight of heavy set, unmarried, and preyed upon women in Korea. In each of her roles she has been a genius actress, illuminating the lives of women thought to be over the hill. She’s been willing to be homely, heavy, uneducated, unlovable. In the same spirit of fun – over acting- really ? Each one of the dramas that she’s picked have been highly watched, and her movies are great too. “She’s On Duty” and another one whose name escapes me where she goes back to all of the men who’ve abused and dumped her and gets even with them. Her work has a message for women in all countries, is it intentional ? I have no idea
I get that sometimes there’s just something about people on a screen that we just seem to instantly dislike, for me it’s Eric Moon- ugh arrogant- and the scary looking Yoo Ri but they can’t act either. Anyway, thank God for DramaFever and Korean dramas . Love reading the blogs and responses keep up the discussion it’s a lot of fun.
Cumm July 10th, 2011 12:57 am
Am in agreement with “anti” Kim Sun Ah comments. My disdain goes beyond her acting. Her voice annoys me to the -nth degree! I steeled myself to sit through She’s on Duty and S Diary just to watch Gong Yoo. I like me some Hyun Bin, but could not bring myself to finish the first episode of My Name is Kim Sam Soon. I did finish City Hall, whiney high-pitched voice and all, but more to finish the drama than to enjoy the acting of both KSA and Cha Seung Won. They cannot do comedy all that well. The comedic expressions for both appeared to be extremely forced… like as if they were saying… fine, I don’t want to do it, but I will, so here goes. I read that CSW was doing extremely well in The Greatest Love, but I found that his comedic expressions were the same as from CH. I just couldn’t continue watching it afterwards.
I am torn about this drama. Enjoyed Lee Dong Wook in My Girl. Even finished the drama though I could not stand Lee Da Hae. My disdain for her is the same as the one I have for KSA. Her acting in Hello Miss was a mess!
Not an “anti” of the actors. Just my personal opinion. Show me improvement and I will give due credit.
yellomasta July 10th, 2011 4:16 am
To all KSA’s haters,
We know ya all are jealous of her, but come on, don’t go overboard with all
all of ya bullshits. What? Ya think ya better than her? Why don’t ya go and
get a part and see how ya’ll do. Thaaat’s right, the director won’t giv a damn
will he? & won’t even giv ya a second glance coz ya all can’ act shit! (i agre with the
singing though)
No hard-feelings folks (~_^)
Cynthia July 10th, 2011 6:23 pm
.This subject of KSA seems to have fired up some diverse opinions.
Judith@ – I can’t disagree with anything you’ve stated. KSA is noted for these gutsy roles and she stands out in her “I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar” roles – more power to her for her willingness to tackle
said issues. My objection is that she, up to this point, isn’t stretching her repertoire – she keeps bringing the same character to each new role. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for this new drama and hoping her performance is a more nuanced one rather than her in-your-face style.
Cumm@ – I couldn’t watch more than 2 eps of City Hall, however CSW in Greatest Love was really good. I’ve always loved him as the bad guy (he ROCKED in Athena!) and was really skeptical about him being cast in TGL.
He was brilliant. Why? Because his role called for him to be a total ass in his non-public persona, and he knocked it out of the park every scene! What I did find bothersome about TGL was the amount of “meta” the Hong sisters threw in. It was kind of like being at a party where everyone except you was in on the jokes – sometimes I got them, sometimes I didn’t. This really was Korean-centric to a high degree. You might want to try watching it again, though, it was fun.
And now, Yellomasta@ – Dude! You really shouldn’t throw the appellation of “hater” around – no-one HATES KSA – critiquing an actor’s performance isn’t personal – it’s usually very objective.
BTW, your “gangsta-rap” cursing style of commenting does leave an impression, though – that maybe you’re 12?
No hard-feelings, ya’ll! (~_^)
Literati July 11th, 2011 4:47 pm
KSA aside this really sounds like that Queen Latifa movie that did horribly at the box office. Last Holiday. I hope they do better than she did with the storyline.
Good luck to the haters. Everyone has their favs hopefully your fav will come out with something for you to love soon. I totally get waiting on your fav to come out with something great or to see a bad lead/script/director drag down a project that seems to have so much potential.
whateva July 12th, 2011 2:48 pm
I can't wait to watch the drama.. love Kim Sun Ah, don't really care much for LDW coz he's only good in My Girl.. the rest was just ok, actually gave up half way on Partner.
Shin July 18th, 2011 12:58 am
I should say I just love Kim Sun-Ah. She is a very versatile actress, intelligent and witty person. She can be partnered to any man and it will have a chemistry. I can’t wait to see this new drama. Goodluck, Kim Sun-Ah!
vico November 14th, 2011 10:33 pm
Kim Sun Ah received the 2011 Asian Outstanding Performance Award, no doubt about that.. she is indeed an excellent and very versatile actress…
Karolyn March 20th, 2012 10:49 pm
I LOVE LEE DONG WOOK AND THE CAST!! I WISH TO BE THERE FRIEND AND I HOPE THEY MAKE ANOTHER SERIES TO TELL US WHAT HAPPEN TO THEM!! I HAVE MANY IDEAS FOR IT BUT ITS A SECRET!! XD LUV YA LEE!! <3