In the Know with Purplenette
The Eye-Candy Syndrome!
I wrote this article with my sister. We have totally different writing styles so we each wrote our own thoughts and I pieced it together. I hope you enjoy our first attempt at a collaboration of sorts.
There are some SPOILERS.
My sister, Melwill28, and I were talking the other day about dramas that we watch just because of who is in it. Sometimes it is because of the acting ability and sometimes it is just because the cast is hot. I’m sure that some of you have watched dramas solely because of who was in it. Here is a list of a few dramas that we have watched that we wish we hadn’t, but couldn’t turn away from due to the actors.
My sister, Melwill28, and I were talking the other day about dramas that we watch just because of who is in it. Sometimes it is because of the acting ability and sometimes it is just because the cast is hot. I’m sure that some of you have watched dramas solely because of who was in it. Here is a list of a few dramas that we have watched that we wish we hadn’t, but couldn’t turn away from due to the actors.
1st on the list is (and will always be)…
We both agree that Fashion King is at the top of the list. I have adored Yoo Ah In since Sungkyunkwan Scandal. When I heard he would be the male lead in a new drama, I was totally excited. Then they give us Fashion King which is like a car wreck from which you can’t turn away. It is basically the same scenario over and over again. I read somewhere that it was supposed to symbolize big corporations dominance. To me it was bad plot, bad character development, and unresolved ending. Sadly I would watch it all over again for Yoo Ah In. What’s up with that?
Why did I watch this drama after episode 5? Why did I continue on with the torture that is this drama? Governments could use this drama as a torture tactic to get information out of their enemies. Of course it was solely for Yoo Ah In. When I got to episode 12 I was like; “What is going on here? They have to move on with the story in the next episode.” I totally had myself convinced that they would actually move the story along, because I had to watch Yoo Ah In. But, what did the writers do? Nothing. They just kept regurgitating the same story line over and over. It was like the song that never ends. <SPOILER ALERT> The writers had to kill Young Gul off in the end because he was about to start the cycle all over again with that one phone call. Even though I knew that the same situation would happen I would have continued to watch another 5 more episodes just to see Yoo Ah In. The drama was the biggest disaster, but I still watched it. Now after reflecting on how bad it was I have to say “Thank You!” to the writers for killing Young Gul off and stopping the madness that could have continued on. But man was it some good eye candy. Watch it but don’t feel bad if at some point you have to stop even if you are a big Yoo Ah In fan.
2nd and most disappointing…
The very first drama I watched was Royal Family and my very first “favorite” actor is Ji Sung. I totally adore him and think he is an excellent actor. I’m not a sageuk fan, but The Great Seer actually sounded interesting. I am sure that you sageuk lovers out there will enjoy this drama. There are a lot of conspiracies, birth secrets, murder, attempted murder, etc. The boring part to me is all of the political talk. I could just care less who is king. I also can’t understand why certain characters were trusted over and over again after it was obvious that they were untrustworthy. I watched it anyway, because of my fondness for Ji Sung. If he weren’t in this drama, then I can safely say that I would never have watched it.
What was I thinking when I started this drama? Oh Yeah! “Ji Sung, JiSung, Ji Sung!” I loved him in so many other dramas that I had to watch this one as well even though I am not the biggest fan of historical dramas. I still wanted to watch it because I thought that some of the other actors/actresses (Lee Yoon Ji, Ji Jin Hee, Song ChangUi, and Kim So Yeon) would be an awesome combination and would make this drama pop! Boy was I wrong. It took me (and my sister) a month and a half to finish it. AND that was after me begging Unnie to watch the last two episodes with me. Yeah we only had two episodes left. Crazy right! We finished it and I have to say what a drag. We didn’t get to see any skin of any kind really. I mean come on! I wouldn’t have felt so cheated if I had at least got to see a naked chest here or there. Yeah I know that is really shallow, but the story was boring and all about politics. They also kept using the same evil plans to get the results they wanted. <SPOILER ALERT> At least Lee Sung Gye (who becomes king in the end) finally gets hip to the evil plots afoot. Seriously, he should since he was involved in all the previous plots in some way or other. I was just glad to finally get it off my list and I didn’t want to drop it with only two episodes left. I invested a lot of time in watching it up to there. It had to be completed for Ji Sung! He really is a great actor not just a piece of eye candy. One more actor on my list of “I will torture myself to see whatever _____ (insert name of actor) is in.”
3rd and What???…
I don’t like sageuk or medical dramas. So, why did I watch this? Kim Jae Joong!!! I think he is an awesome actor. Plus, he is totally hot. Dr. Jin is part of the 'time slip' dramas that have been all the rage lately. This one had no rhyme or reason to it. Right now I can’t tell you anything about the plot except that the main character was trying to save the girl. I didn’t care about that story anyway. I was more interested in Kim Jae Joong’s character. He made me feel for him even though he was on the “bad guys” team. It really is a must see for him alone.
Well if you don’t know who I watched this for then there has to be something wrong with you. Kim Jae Joong is just awesome in looks and in acting skills. But what the heck was this drama? I couldn’t believe that I suffered through all of that mess. It was good at times and I liked some of it. But it just got stupid after a while. The whole “you’re messing up the time line” bit got old and I stopped watching till it was completed. When I finished it I only watched the parts with Jae Joong in it because I just couldn’t deal with the rest. Why didn’t they have more Jae Joong? What were the writers thinking? I would have watched more if he was just standing there in the background not saying anything while the rest of the story went on around him. Actually I would watch anything with him in it if he just stood there being all hot like he is. Actually I think he has some kickin’ acting skills. I loved him in Protect the Boss (I actually rooted for him to get the girl) and Codename: Jackal (soooo hot). I really couldn’t get into the drama but I was compelled to watch for Jae Joong. It’s not his fault that the story was boring and his fellow actors weren’t all that great.
Last and least…
The horror that is this drama. If it weren’t for Gong Yoo, then I would have dropped this drama like a bad habit. I was sooo bored while watching it. The writers acted like the audience was stupid. Like we couldn’t handle Da Ran falling in love with a younger man. <SPOILER ALERT>They didn’t show the brothers getting together at the end. They don’t show how Da Ran handles telling Yoon Jae that she is now in love with his younger brother, Kyung Joon. They don’t show how the brothers handled that situation or how that affected Yoon Jae. They also don’t show Da Ran and Kyung Joon together. Plus, Da Ran to me was more childish than the younger man that she was supposed to be falling for. Ugh. I just hate this drama, but I watched every minute of it (well, except for the parts with her stupid parents and the people that thought of them as their first loves). I waited soooo long for Gong Yoo to be in a drama and this is what I get. So disappointing. I will NEVER watch this again. If I need a Gong Yoo fix, then I will just watch Coffee Prince.
I watch this drama only because it had Gong Yoo as the lead. Then I realized Baek Sung Hyun, and Shin Won Ho were in it (OH and Suzy…she is so cute). At first, I thought the story sounded interesting, because it is was all about bros and a body switch. And I already knew how AWESOME <sing song voice> Gong Yoo’s acting is from watching other dramas. He carried the main plot on his back like a ton of bricks for several reasons. There wasn't any chemistry between the two main leads and it wasn't from lack of effort on Gong Yoo’s part. His female lead did nothing to interest me. She at times acted more childish and spoiled than his character did. He blew me away because he not only showed a serious character, but in this he totally took on the age of his body switched bro ("Stupid" was my fave line). As an adult, I know that it is hard to be that carefree and act like a child or young adult (so I don't offend anyone with my adult attitude) in certain situations. There are few actors that can change their acting and the personality of the character they are playing while doing one part. I really didn't care that much about the story, I just wanted to continue watching Gong Yoo. I was more interested in the story between Suzy’s character and Baek Sung Hyun. Their interaction was just adorable and funny. Out of all the dramas I have watched, I have to say that the ending to this was high up there on my disappointed list. It actually had the potential to be epic, but you don't even see the face of the main character in the end. It left me with a blah feeling. BUT, it wasn't a complete waste of time. There is just too much hotness to be completely disappointed. It is a totally pleasure – pain experience through the whole drama. Gong Yoo is yet again one of those actors that I will watch despite all the pain of a crappy drama plot.
Like other drama fans, I know that I am watching certain dramas just because of the eye candy or because one of my favorite actor/actress is in the drama. It is not a bad thing and I don’t come out of the drama having bad feelings. I know exactly why I watched and I'm honest concerning the reason. I will not say that the “eye candy” dramas are a waste of time, because I get to look at my favorites. The directors probably asked for them because of that astatically pleasing aspect of their public life. The next drama I plan to watch just because of the eye candy is What Happened in Bali. Woohoo!!! So Ji Sub, Ha Ji Won, Jo In Sung and Yeo Ho Min (who happens to always be in a supporting role for some reason). I am excited! Unnie has already told me that it is REALLY bad, but good at the same time. I will find out soon, bring on the torture!
We both agree that Fashion King is at the top of the list. I have adored Yoo Ah In since Sungkyunkwan Scandal. When I heard he would be the male lead in a new drama, I was totally excited. Then they give us Fashion King which is like a car wreck from which you can’t turn away. It is basically the same scenario over and over again. I read somewhere that it was supposed to symbolize big corporations dominance. To me it was bad plot, bad character development, and unresolved ending. Sadly I would watch it all over again for Yoo Ah In. What’s up with that?
Why did I watch this drama after episode 5? Why did I continue on with the torture that is this drama? Governments could use this drama as a torture tactic to get information out of their enemies. Of course it was solely for Yoo Ah In. When I got to episode 12 I was like; “What is going on here? They have to move on with the story in the next episode.” I totally had myself convinced that they would actually move the story along, because I had to watch Yoo Ah In. But, what did the writers do? Nothing. They just kept regurgitating the same story line over and over. It was like the song that never ends. <SPOILER ALERT> The writers had to kill Young Gul off in the end because he was about to start the cycle all over again with that one phone call. Even though I knew that the same situation would happen I would have continued to watch another 5 more episodes just to see Yoo Ah In. The drama was the biggest disaster, but I still watched it. Now after reflecting on how bad it was I have to say “Thank You!” to the writers for killing Young Gul off and stopping the madness that could have continued on. But man was it some good eye candy. Watch it but don’t feel bad if at some point you have to stop even if you are a big Yoo Ah In fan.
2nd and most disappointing…
The very first drama I watched was Royal Family and my very first “favorite” actor is Ji Sung. I totally adore him and think he is an excellent actor. I’m not a sageuk fan, but The Great Seer actually sounded interesting. I am sure that you sageuk lovers out there will enjoy this drama. There are a lot of conspiracies, birth secrets, murder, attempted murder, etc. The boring part to me is all of the political talk. I could just care less who is king. I also can’t understand why certain characters were trusted over and over again after it was obvious that they were untrustworthy. I watched it anyway, because of my fondness for Ji Sung. If he weren’t in this drama, then I can safely say that I would never have watched it.
What was I thinking when I started this drama? Oh Yeah! “Ji Sung, JiSung, Ji Sung!” I loved him in so many other dramas that I had to watch this one as well even though I am not the biggest fan of historical dramas. I still wanted to watch it because I thought that some of the other actors/actresses (Lee Yoon Ji, Ji Jin Hee, Song ChangUi, and Kim So Yeon) would be an awesome combination and would make this drama pop! Boy was I wrong. It took me (and my sister) a month and a half to finish it. AND that was after me begging Unnie to watch the last two episodes with me. Yeah we only had two episodes left. Crazy right! We finished it and I have to say what a drag. We didn’t get to see any skin of any kind really. I mean come on! I wouldn’t have felt so cheated if I had at least got to see a naked chest here or there. Yeah I know that is really shallow, but the story was boring and all about politics. They also kept using the same evil plans to get the results they wanted. <SPOILER ALERT> At least Lee Sung Gye (who becomes king in the end) finally gets hip to the evil plots afoot. Seriously, he should since he was involved in all the previous plots in some way or other. I was just glad to finally get it off my list and I didn’t want to drop it with only two episodes left. I invested a lot of time in watching it up to there. It had to be completed for Ji Sung! He really is a great actor not just a piece of eye candy. One more actor on my list of “I will torture myself to see whatever _____ (insert name of actor) is in.”
3rd and What???…
Well if you don’t know who I watched this for then there has to be something wrong with you. Kim Jae Joong is just awesome in looks and in acting skills. But what the heck was this drama? I couldn’t believe that I suffered through all of that mess. It was good at times and I liked some of it. But it just got stupid after a while. The whole “you’re messing up the time line” bit got old and I stopped watching till it was completed. When I finished it I only watched the parts with Jae Joong in it because I just couldn’t deal with the rest. Why didn’t they have more Jae Joong? What were the writers thinking? I would have watched more if he was just standing there in the background not saying anything while the rest of the story went on around him. Actually I would watch anything with him in it if he just stood there being all hot like he is. Actually I think he has some kickin’ acting skills. I loved him in Protect the Boss (I actually rooted for him to get the girl) and Codename: Jackal (soooo hot). I really couldn’t get into the drama but I was compelled to watch for Jae Joong. It’s not his fault that the story was boring and his fellow actors weren’t all that great.
Last and least…
The horror that is this drama. If it weren’t for Gong Yoo, then I would have dropped this drama like a bad habit. I was sooo bored while watching it. The writers acted like the audience was stupid. Like we couldn’t handle Da Ran falling in love with a younger man. <SPOILER ALERT>They didn’t show the brothers getting together at the end. They don’t show how Da Ran handles telling Yoon Jae that she is now in love with his younger brother, Kyung Joon. They don’t show how the brothers handled that situation or how that affected Yoon Jae. They also don’t show Da Ran and Kyung Joon together. Plus, Da Ran to me was more childish than the younger man that she was supposed to be falling for. Ugh. I just hate this drama, but I watched every minute of it (well, except for the parts with her stupid parents and the people that thought of them as their first loves). I waited soooo long for Gong Yoo to be in a drama and this is what I get. So disappointing. I will NEVER watch this again. If I need a Gong Yoo fix, then I will just watch Coffee Prince.
I watch this drama only because it had Gong Yoo as the lead. Then I realized Baek Sung Hyun, and Shin Won Ho were in it (OH and Suzy…she is so cute). At first, I thought the story sounded interesting, because it is was all about bros and a body switch. And I already knew how AWESOME <sing song voice> Gong Yoo’s acting is from watching other dramas. He carried the main plot on his back like a ton of bricks for several reasons. There wasn't any chemistry between the two main leads and it wasn't from lack of effort on Gong Yoo’s part. His female lead did nothing to interest me. She at times acted more childish and spoiled than his character did. He blew me away because he not only showed a serious character, but in this he totally took on the age of his body switched bro ("Stupid" was my fave line). As an adult, I know that it is hard to be that carefree and act like a child or young adult (so I don't offend anyone with my adult attitude) in certain situations. There are few actors that can change their acting and the personality of the character they are playing while doing one part. I really didn't care that much about the story, I just wanted to continue watching Gong Yoo. I was more interested in the story between Suzy’s character and Baek Sung Hyun. Their interaction was just adorable and funny. Out of all the dramas I have watched, I have to say that the ending to this was high up there on my disappointed list. It actually had the potential to be epic, but you don't even see the face of the main character in the end. It left me with a blah feeling. BUT, it wasn't a complete waste of time. There is just too much hotness to be completely disappointed. It is a totally pleasure – pain experience through the whole drama. Gong Yoo is yet again one of those actors that I will watch despite all the pain of a crappy drama plot.
Like other drama fans, I know that I am watching certain dramas just because of the eye candy or because one of my favorite actor/actress is in the drama. It is not a bad thing and I don’t come out of the drama having bad feelings. I know exactly why I watched and I'm honest concerning the reason. I will not say that the “eye candy” dramas are a waste of time, because I get to look at my favorites. The directors probably asked for them because of that astatically pleasing aspect of their public life. The next drama I plan to watch just because of the eye candy is What Happened in Bali. Woohoo!!! So Ji Sub, Ha Ji Won, Jo In Sung and Yeo Ho Min (who happens to always be in a supporting role for some reason). I am excited! Unnie has already told me that it is REALLY bad, but good at the same time. I will find out soon, bring on the torture!
What are some of the dramas that you have watched only because of the actor/actress?
