KDRAMAGUK : Korean Drama Soup

a landing site for quick, completely biased, and totally snarky korean drama reviews

Search

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Something Happened in Bali (2004)















Something Happened in Bali
발리에서 생긴 일 / Memories of Bali
(Jan – Mar 2004)


who’s in it
Ha JiWon (Secret, Damo)
Jo InSung (Shoot for the Star, Classic - film)
So JiSub (Cain and Abel, Glass Slippers)
Park YeJin (Queen SeonDuk, Family Outing S1 – member)

what’s it about
Ha JiWon is working as a perky tour guide in Bali when she first meets Jo InSung (rich imbecile playboy), So JiSub (honorable but penniless) and Park YeJin (socialite who’s engaged to the first but loves the latter). That’s part one. Part two starts when Ha JiWon’s boss runs off with her savings and she’s forced to return to Korea to start over. That’s when things get really messy.

commitment 
20 episodes

network
SBS

wildcard factor
Do you like dark and twisted? This was a kdrama and a half, baby. It’s heavy and you can hear everyone’s hearts make a bloody splat as they are torn out of chests and thrown to the floor. I’d say it’s a nod back to your parents’ kdramas where things were just a lot weepy and corkscrew and the people were so wretched, you wonder why they even bothered to get out of bed.

after the first episode
Oh dear, oh dear…this is not going to end well…I must watch!!!

gave up

snoozer moments
It gets somewhat repetitive toward the end. Instead of building up to a climactic ending…you get a feeling of being sucked down into a dull and horrible vortex.

soju-guzzling
Oh yeah. GALLONS worth of misery

what didn’t work
For what it was—a cluster pile of crying—I think it got its point across and achieved what it desired, which was to shock its audience.

what did
The music was a character of its own.

what made me want to gouge my eyes out
The ending was truly shocking.

what kept me going

How is this going to all end? Seriously, I thought I knew...but I had no idea.
______________________________

Other factors:
predictability No
engrish No
originality Um...yes?
eye-candy Yes – well, if you are a So JiSub, Ha JiWon, or Jo InSung fan like, well, pretty much all of Korea, you could say there is some candy for you in here
hair and fashion It was…horrible, actually! I mean the yucky use of fur and the little backpacks…come on! The stylist for Jo InSung’s character needed to be shot.
______________________________

is it worth trying to find?
Yes, if you love the gnarly melodrama.

total enjoyment factor 
9/10

total disdain factor

why this review is completely biased
Ha JiWon and Jo InSun—I totally bought into their charisma. I do not usually like this type of overly desolate and anguished type of fare, so I was quite impressed they got me through it.

could a non-kdrama fan like this
Hard to say. I did recommend it to someone who doesn’t watch many dramas…and it did not impress that particular person.

verdict
It was something else, that’s for sure. The music is still parodied in Korea to this day, as is the fist-in-mouth anguished-theatrical-acting of Jo InSung. I mean, if you put your fist in your mouth in Korea and cry “Aaaaaaaaaaah!”, they'll most likely exclaim in response, “Bali!” Well, either that or call the police. Anyway, it was...a cultural moment. The sexual tension between Ha JiWon and Jo InSung was also no joking matter. I mean, I really thought these two were a secret item in real life! They did a series of ‘silky hair’ ballroom shampoo commercials after Bali that were hot hot hot. I mean, like everyone else, I was really invested in these two...which only made this whole drama all the more shocking at its conclusion. Anyway, I felt like I’d survived a kdrama war when it was all done and watched. For its pure impact favor alone, it deserves its high grade.

No comments:

Post a Comment

A Jerk-Free Zone: this is a site for friendly debate, please be respectful and courteous to others. Comments that violate that spirit will be removed. This will be strictly enforced. Thank you.

Recent Posts

A Year End Review
KDramaGuk’s
Biased & Worst of 2013

Badasses & Bromances

First Impressions
Let’s Eat (2014)
식샤를 합시다
(Nov 2013 – Mar 2014)

Recommendation
JTBC, Monday -Tuesday
Aired May- July 2013

Diary
Marry Me Yoo AhIn!
Dramas and drama-ish show I talk about after the jump: WINMaster’s Sun and Good Doctor.

Diary
The Girl Who Cried Wolf
Dramas I talk about after the jump: Master’s Sun (eps 11-12). If you haven’t watched Master’s Sun yet, don’t read on. Major ass spoilers ahead...because major ass things went down!

Diary
Funny Mathematics
Master’s Sun (eps 9 & 10) is the only drama I chat about after the jump. But I am pretty sure I am going to start Good Doctor this week.

Review
Heartless City (2013)
무정도시 / Cruel City
(May – July 2013)


Diary
Crossing Imaginary Lines
Dramas I will spoil after the jump: Master’s Sun (Eps 7-8). I am still watching Who Are You, but I have little to say on it, other than Kim JaeWook continues to be a handsome spectral figure. Oh, and I had to officially drop Goddess of Fire.

Diary
JiSub OPPA!
More fangirling over JiSub and HyoJin after the jump, and Master’s Sun (Episode 5 and 6) will be the only drama I yap about and spoil. It was the only one I managed to watch this week.

Review
I Can Hear Your Voice (2013)
너의 목소리가 들려
(Jun – Jul 2013)


Diary
Bright Bright Taeyang
Dramas I will talk about and spoil after the  jump: Master’s Sun (until Ep 4). And some more thoughts on The Blade and the Petal (up to Ep6), and Who Are You (up to Ep6). And also, the craziest thing I saw this weekend: Kim WooBin fighting killer female robots.