Full House, 7.0
Full House. Korean Drama (2003).
(Min-hyuk, Ji-eun, Young-jae, and Hae-won. Images from KBS website.)
Stars
Song Hye-gyo.................Han Ji-eun, aspiring novelist
Rain (Bi)..........................Lee Young-jae, movie star
Kim Sung-soo.................Yoo Min-hyuk, Yahoo! Korea exec
Han Eun-jung.................Kang Hae-won, up-and-coming fashion designer
Synopsis:
Cheerful and innocent Han Ji-eun (Song Hye-gyo) is sent by her two best (and only) friends Dong-wook and Hee-jin (Do Han and Lee Young-eun) on an all-expenses-paid trip to China that they claim to have won in a contest. Boarding the plane, she is excited to discover that she is sitting next to celebrity actor Lee Young-jae (pop star Rain), on his way to film his next movie. However, the hotness of his appearance (I say this with some reservation, as will be discussed below) belies the iciness of his attitude, and he continually ignores her as she chatters away. She eats her in-flight meal with her usual hearty appetite, and then, to Young-jae's disgust, goes on to throw up most of it on his floral-print shirt. This development does not bode well for Ji-eun, and the fates seem further turned against her when she discovers upon her arrival that what her friends really provided her with is a one-way ticket with nothing waiting for her at her destination, part of their ploy to sell off her house and take over her bank account while she is gone to pay off their debts. She finally secures a hotel room with the help of handsome, sharply dressed Yoo Min-hyuk (Kim Sung-soo), who is on his way to visit longtime friend Young-jae at the hotel, and she spends the next few days living off instant noodles and seeing the sites of the Middle Kingdom on what is truly a shoestring budget.
In the end, Ji-eun manages to get back to Korea by borrowing money from the arrogant Young-jae, who grudgingly loans it after she pretends to be Min-hyuk's ex. However, upon returning to the beloved "Full House" left to her by her parents after they died, Ji-eun finally discovers the true extend of her friends' betrayal; finding out that the dreaded Young-jae is the new owner only rubs salt into the open wound. Eventually, the two strike an agreement: they will enter into a contract marriage, under which Ji-eun must cook and clean in order to repay the money she owes Young-jae. Additionally, the two will stay out of each other's private lives, and at the end of six months, they will divorce, at which point Ji-eun will get her house back. However, things quickly become heated with the flaring of tempers and the appearances of old flames and new. On top of their tenuous and argument-fraught relationship, the Ji-eun and Young-jae each have to deal with problems outside of the house. While the finagling of her two backstabbing friends cause her some grief, Ji-eun's main problem is fighting her growing attraction to both Young-jae and Min-hyuk, who, intrigued by her bright smile, encourages her to write a screenplay for him, romances her with flowers, and takes her out to nice dinners. Young-jae, on the other hand, needs to revive his flagging acting career, which is suffering both from the tabloid speculations surrounding his sudden marriage and a recent box-office bomb, and work out his feelings for his fashion designer and childhood friend Kang Hae-won (Han Eun-jung), who loves Yoo Min-hyuk. And on top of figuring out this love square, the newlyweds both need to maintain the public appearance of their marriage, particularly in front of Young-jae's family--his nagging grandmother, long-suffering mother, and disappointed doctor father.
Opinion:
Hae-won possesses good taste in men if not in clothes, and I certainly don't blame her for preferring Min-hyuk over Young-jae. She stocks Young-jae's closet with low-cut sweaters, an endless array of scarves, granny cardigans, and a pair of jailbird pants; for herself, she prefers the same bright colors in the form of frills, tight fits, and exposed bra straps. Sartorially, these two are as destined a couple as I have ever seen; thus, Ji-eun and Young-jae's story can be considered ultimately a triumph of true love over bad taste.
Overall, the acting is pretty good, though I think Ji-eun had more chemistry with Min-hyuk than Young-jae. However, Ji-eun's two friends drive more than just the people in the drama nuts. Though sometimes lacking the glossy perfection of Hollywood, with insects flying in and out of scenes, "Full House" is a charming take on an old formula.
Verdict: 7.0/10.0 Fun, though the dramatic scenarios get repetitive as the show goes on.
posted by alice @ 11:19 PM
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