Last Scandal of My Life
마지막 스캔들 / Last Scandal
(Mar – Apr 2008)
who’s in it
Choi JinShil (Jealousy, Wish Upon A Star)
Jung JoonHo (IRIS)
Byun JungSoo (What’s Up, Fox?, Style, Pasta)
Jung WoongIn (Outrageos Women, Queen Seonduk)
what’s it about
So, Choi JinShil’s character is supposed to be “past her prime” and worn down by the trials and tribulations of her life but it’s sooo ridiculous because the woman is still beautiful and not even a mop perm and bug-eyed glasses could detract from her cuteness. Anyhow, Jung JoonHo is her leading man, a famous actor who hires on Choi JinShil to be his housekeeper out of pity, but the catch is this, these two are each other’s “the one that got away” person. THE first love.
Jung JoonHo is petulant, childish and bratty as the arrogant and over-indulged actor who is just beyond the age that is considered the prime of youth that Korea idolizes and Choi JinShil is a hard-working but ‘plain’ woman trying to get by in life. When these two reunite, old feelings are stirred awake, like hibernating dust under a sofa, and not just because Choi JinShil is a great housekeeper, if you know what I mean. Wink.Wink.
I will add, despite my description of Jung JoonHo’s character, he is handsome and likable in this role. Very handsome. I was surprised by how good he looks in a close-up.
commitment
16 Episodes
network
MBC
wildcard factor
I guess because it boasts of an older cast, some might flippantly classify it as an “ahjumma” drama, and by that I mean a drama that the younger generation might not take an interest in watching. Perhaps this is an unfortunate truth but it would be a pity if ageist prejudices kept someone away from this gem because it really was a gem of the rarest kind - a kdrama that was thoughtful and caring to its characters and not simply intent on cashing in on stereotypes of the genre. And sadly, while this is not directly relevant to the quality of the drama itself, but I do believe this was Choi JinShil’s last role before her suicide.
after the first episode
Pleasantly delighted. It was funny and sweet and I took an instant interest at the obvious quality in the writing and acting.
snoozer moments
It had a pretty quick moving plot.
soju-guzzling
Um…no, not much melodrama in this one.
what didn’t work
The idea that Choi JinShil was supposed to be fugly. Pshaw.
what did
Choi JinShil and Jung JoonHo and the kids. So darling.
what made me want to gouge my eyes out
What a nasty perm they stuck on Choi JinShil’s head.
what kept me going
Their bantering was really enjoyable, including Jung JoonHo’s school boy antics of tormenting Choi JinShil in order to keep her attentions on him alone.
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Other factors:
predictability Of course
engrish No
originality Felt so
eye-candy Yes
hair and fashion n/a
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is it worth trying to find?
Yes
total enjoyment factor
9/10
why this review is completely biased
I like co-habitation romcoms because that often necessitates the leads to spend lots and lots of time together and their love connection feels less forced and more organic.
could a non-kdrama fan like this
Yes, but only for those that enjoy romantic comedies.
verdict
There’s a light-hearted silliness that saturated the entire series but underlying all the comedy, there was a maturity and seriousness in this one that often goes lacking in kdramas with similar concepts but younger casting. But I must stress, this is not just a ‘housewives’ drama, no, it could still appeal to a younger audience (that would watch, say, My Girl, perhaps not so much Boys Over Flowers). This isn’t the type of drama I gravitate toward either, but I really enjoyed it anyway. I found both leads excessively lovable and the story of love developing between a famous movie star and his poor housekeeper never seems to get old (notable comparison: Full House). There were enough twists in the story to make this kdrama feel layered, not to mention the depth buried within the characters; and it comes with a collection of likable banchan characters (side dish characters). Definitely worth a try.
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