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Drama Looks for Love in PragueBy Park Chung-a
Staff Reporter
``Lovers in Paris'' on SBS was last year's major summer hit drama, surpassing the 50 percent viewer rating. This summer's ``Princess LuLu,'' another similarly formulated SBS drama also starring Kim Jung-eun as the heroine, was expected to carry on the success of ``Lovers.''
Instead, this season's summer heart-sizzler has fizzled. After being met with lukewarm viewer ratings, criticism for excessive commercialism and its conventional storyline, there was even talk from Kim of quitting the show.
So what will become of ``Lovers in Prague,'' SBS' upcoming weekend drama? The drama, set to premiere on Sept. 24, has a lot in common with ``Lovers in Paris'' and ``Princess LuLu.'' It brings back together producer Shin Woo-chol and writer Kim Eun-sook, the successful team behind ``Lovers in Paris.'' Also, its background is Prague, a European city renowned to be as exotic as Paris.
Like the other two dramas, ``Lovers in Prague'' has gained public interest by casting movie stars. The drama will mark the return to television of actress Jeon Do-yeon and actor Kim Ju-hyuk, both of whom last appeared on the small screen three years ago.
Park Shin-yang and Kim Jung-eun of ``Lovers in Paris'' and Kim and Jung Jun-ho of ``Princess Lulu'' were also concentrating on their movie careers before deciding to act in their respective dramas.
In ``Lovers in Prague,'' Jeon plays the role of Jae-hee, a diplomat and a daughter of a South Korean president. She falls in love with a detective from a poor background who lost both of his parents as a teenager. While ``Lovers in Paris'' was a Cinderella-like story of a poor female student getting hitched to an elite member of society, this time, the situation is completely reversed.
Jeon is also awaiting the premiere of her new movie ``You Are My Sunshine'' in which she played a role of HIV-positive mistress. The movie is to premiere on Sept. 23, just one day earlier than the drama.
``Although Jae-hee is completely different from the character I played in the new movie, I had no difficulty in playing her,'' Jeon said in a press conference on Tuesday in southern Seoul. ``I always manage to easily get away from the character as soon as the role is done.''
Although she acknowledged that because of the high expectations for her new drama she feels the pressure to succeed, she said she felt confident of a positive reaction from audiences.
``It is a warm story of people who were hurt by love but again fall in love and get their scarred hearts cured,'' said Jeon.
As her role is a diplomat, in the drama she frequently has lines in Czech.
``Czech is really a difficult language, especially its pronunciation. I receive private lessons as well, but what I actually do is just learn everything by heart. I am thankful that it's a language that not many people know,'' she said, jokingly.
``There are all kinds of romances in this world. I wanted to show as many of them as possible and this time I chose to feature a romance of woman whose social status is higher than her partner,'' said Kim Eun-sook, the writer of the drama.
The writer said she wanted to make the difference of social level between the two main characters as extreme as possible, thus choosing to make the female lead the daughter of the president. ``Although some might say it is another unrealistic story, a drama is a drama. I just want to make people enjoy the fantasy.''
``Lovers in Prague'' will not be able to avoid being compared to ``Lovers in Paris'' and ``Princess Lulu.'' Whether it will follow in the steps of ``Princess LuLu'' or overcome the success of ``Lovers in Paris'' all depends on the viewers.
source: korean times
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Jeon Do-youn's multiple hits stem from passion for actingIronically, a certain similarity runs between the two utterly different characters of a seedy tearoom waitress and a gorgeous daughter of the president when played by Jeon Do-youn, one of the nation's most bankable actresses.
In the two contrasting characters, viewers discover a similar naive and fragile soul which seems to speak for itself. The 32-year-old actress fills up every role she takes with the same honest soul, giving life to the fictional characters.
Thanks to the nation's acting queen, director Park Jin-pyo's movie "You Are My Sunshine" and the SBS weekend primetime drama "Lovers of Prague" are overwhelmingly popular simultaneously. The movie is currently a No. 1 box-office hit, filling 917,000 seats in the first week of release, and the drama is also enjoying a commanding popularity with an over 20 percent viewer rating in its first week.
Jeon Do-youn in "You Are My Sunshine" (left) and "Lovers of Prague"
In "You are My Sunshine," Jeon plays the role of a pitiful tearoom waitress who is also a sex worker. The waitress moves to a rural area away from Seoul to escape her abusive husband, and later falls in love with a farmer who showers her with love and gives her new hope. But as the cruelty of life flows, she is faced with the fact that she is infected with HIV, and her new love turns into another despair.
From the hardened woman, Jeon manages to bring out a fragile soul which arouses the viewers' sympathy. When played by Jeon, the woman is no longer just a pitiful sex worker, but instead, becomes a vulnerable - and perhaps even humdrum - woman with a lust for love and affection.
The same effect occurs in the TV drama "Lovers of Prague," when Jeon turns the charming daughter of the nation's most powerful man into a clumsy woman who likes eating junk food on the streets like every young Korean woman. From this character that appears to have everything - wealth, fame and beauty - Jeon manages again to bring out a soul of a naive and ordinary woman who has a lust for love like everyone else.
When a first love announces that he is leaving her, the "superwoman" replies "So, does this mean I'm being dumped?" without much feeling. But through Jeon's acting, viewers can see how much hurt the character is holding back in those numb words.
It is rare for a movie and a drama with the same leading actor or actress to become major hits at the same time. And often, actors and actresses avoid such cases, due to the risk of confusing audiences.
But Jeon managed to pull both roles off perfectly without causing any confusion.
While presenting lifelike acting for two completely different characters, Jeon never fails to turn the roles into her own, by blowing her own soul into each character.
When Jeon made her debut in the campus romantic drama "Our Heaven" in 1992, she was recognized as "just another" young and charming actress who arrived in TV land.
But since the 1997 movie "Contact," Jeon is considered by producers to have established herself as one of Korea's most-wanted actresses for the big screen.
Unlike other popular actresses who often face setbacks after a few major hits, Jeon's acting career has been a string of successes with hits like "Harmonium in My Heart" and "Happy End."
Jeon is regarded as an actress who has a "perspective-view" for choosing the right roles that can be best acted by her. And after making a choice, Jeon immediately pours all of her passion into the role.
"Often, it's hard to get back to real life after I finish a movie or a drama, because I truly believe that I am the character while the shooting is in process," Jeon once said in an interview with a local monthly magazine. "It's a bit like suffering from a broken heart, seeing from a fact that I always end up mourning over the characters as if they had been my lovers."
While acting, Jeon chooses to remain an "ordinary" person you expect to find on the streets, unlike other actresses who often strive to stand out from other people. Thus to women, Jeon is someone they could never hate or be jealous of, and to men, she becomes a symbol of an ordinary but lovable woman whom they hope to meet in real life one day.
Jeon's major power on the screen and TV was evidently not formed in one day. The actress' continuous efforts to develop a "sixth sense" for the right roles and to grasp viewers' expectations appears to have brought her the current success.
(hayney@heraldm.com)
By Shin Hae-in
source: korean herald
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From Metrosexual to Ubersexual
Classic Masculine Look Is Brought Back in Updated Form By Han Eun-jung
Staff Reporter
Kim Min-jun in the drama “Lovers in Prague”
Over a decade ago, British journalist Mark Simpson coined the term, ``metrosexual.’’ Since then, the word, which refers to urban males with a strong fashion sense who value a high quality lifestyle, has become common usage.
However, according to U.S. trend spotter Marian Salzman in the book ``The Future of Men,'' the age of exfoliating, preening, pretty boys is over, paving the way now for the ``ubersexual.''
Based on media and pop-cultural references, along with excerpts from 70 interviews conducted with ``real people,'' Ira Matathia and Ann O'Reilly, (co-authors of ``The Future of Men’’ with Salzman), identify the ubersexual as one of the four archetypes that constitute ``M-ness,'' a type of masculinity that results from embracing the positive aspects of both masculine and feminine styles.
And according to the trio, the ubersexual is a man who, while avoiding obnoxiousness, is ``supremely confident, masculine, stylishly committed to uncompromising quality in all areas of life.''
If David Beckham and Jude Law are the exponents of the metrosexual breed, think along the lines of Cary Grant, George Clooney and Russell Crowe _ icons of traditional, classic masculinity _ as examples of ubersexual.
Then what is it that differentiates the metrosexual from the ubersexual? The latter is an extension of the metrosexual, but without sexual ambiguity.
The writers, for example, note that while both like to shop, the ubersexual is more focused and only purchases items that ``enhance his collection.''
Kim Ju-hyuk in the drama "Lovers in Prague"
The male roles featuring in today’s soap operas and movies makes Salzman’s theory seem to be all the more plausible, providing anecdotal evidence that the shift is indeed underway.
The male lead, a role for which just only a year was reserved for ``kkotminam (flower boys),’’ or the Korean version of the metrosexual, are now taking on characteristics closer to the ubersexual image.
No longer seen are sharply groomed charmers like the talkative, savvy Young-jae, played by singer Rain in last year’s ``Full House,’’ or Lee Dong-kun’s portrayal of the spoiled rich Su-hyuk dressed prim and pretty in tuxedo jackets and wide leg trousers in the show ``Lovers in Paris.’’
An example would be the No. 1 weekend drama, ``Lovers in Prague,’’ and its two lead males, played by Kim Ju-hyuk, in the role of Sang-hyon, and Kim Min-jun as Young-woo. The two, locked in a love triangle, both try to win the heart of Jeon Do-yeon’s character, Jae-hee.
At a glance, Sang-hyun, a plain-clothes detective, seems to be just a casual dresser, but in fact his neutral-toned jumpers and cargo pants show he sports a style all his own. And as the drama unfolds, the viewer, along with Jae-hee come to realize, underneath the tough-guy persona is a sensitive, thoughtful man who will do anything for the happiness of both an old flame and also his newfound love.
Young-woo as a public prosecutor dresses with more taste but not to the point that his sexual orientation comes into question as metrosexuals often may appear to do.
He chooses to wear simple suits for the workplace and throws on knit pullovers for after hours. He character is grave and his attitude and choice of words are reserved, yet he’s not afraid of expressing his emotions at the crucial moment, or stepping back a bit to give time and space to Jae-hee, confident that in time she will return to his side.
source: korea times
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Wardrobe in TV Soap Bucks Economic SayingBy Choi Kyong-ae, Han Eun-jung
Staff Reporters
The hemline of women’s skirts is often regarded as a time-honored indicator of the state of economy. For instance, it is said that if the economy is bad, the hemline goes up, making short skirts the mainstay of women’s fashion. A look at Seoul streets nowadays may give believers in this economy-by-fashion indicator a chance to think again.
The hemlines to skirts and pants are climbing while that of tops are plunging this fall, business sources say. The reason they say is a popular television drama.
An essential item in the wardrobe of the leading lady in today’s most-watched weekend drama is the ``cropped trouser,’’ dress pants that have been cut to knee-grazing lengths. The popularity of the actress Jeon Do-yeon who portrays the heroine has led to their soaring sales. Moreover, mini skirts are another hot-selling item among women.
``Lovers in Prague,’ which depicts the love story between the president’s daughter and a detective have won the hearts of women and they want to have items the heroine wears in the drama,’’ Park Sung-hee at Shinsegae Department Store said.
Short skirts, which are favored by Korean women right into the chilly weather, are also selling like hotcakes. In particular, denim skirts measuring at only 30 to 35 cm are popular.
Shinsegae Department Store saw the sales of mini skirts and cropped pants go up 20 to 30 percent this month from the same period of last year. The sale of the two items accounts for 40 percent of total sales.
``Thanks to the popularity of these pants and mini skirts, other accessory fashion items such as tall boots and stirrup socks are more popular with girls,’’ Park said.
In contrast, upper garments are gaining length in the middle of this autumn. According to Lotte Department Store, tops like cardigans or knit sweaters are long enough to cover the hips.
``These days, girls pursue the bohemian style, a form of the layered look, in which one wears a long, knit sweater under a waist-long jacket,’’ Choi Kyong at Lotte Department Store said.
Five out the 10 boots displayed in the department store’s shoes department are tall boots. Choi said they will increase their stock of them by 20 percent to meet the soaring demand this fall.
There are other fashion items that have gotten longer: necklaces, scarves and mufflers. Some mufflers are long enough that they can be wrapped around the neck several times.
source: korea times
i think this drama much better than Lovers in paris...
