I'm about ready to pull some hair out because I don't know where to find the time to watch all the dramas Korea's broadcasting companies have been throwing our way. The fact that Pretty Man will start to air in a few days, man alive! I mean, I still have The Heirs, Mi-rae's Choice, and Reply 1994 already keeping me super busy. Add to that my usual variety shows (i.e. Running Man, We Got Married)… Plus, you know, living out my actual life where I have work and stuff… How am I suppose to survive all this?
At the helm of this new drama is the same person who directed Flower Boy Ramyun Shop and Flower Boy Next Door - which were both fun, zippy, and beautifully painted rom-coms. So, at the very least, we can expect some quirky cuteness and aesthetically-pleasing images.
While I'm quite tired of Jang Geun-suk playing all these flower boy roles, I do love him as an actor. And though we're once again being forced to believe IU in a Plain Jane role, I think she has so much potential as an actor and she's come a long way since Dream High. She was a joy to watch in You're The Best Lee Soon-shin despite the drama's storytelling being a hot mess.
I haven't seen much of second male lead Lee Jang-woo aside from some clips of him on We Got Married, but I hear good things about him as an actor. And I loved Han Chae-young in Delightful Girl Chun-hyang, so here's to hoping I'll continue to love her in this new drama.
The plot may seem ridiculous right now, but what do we expect when it's based on a webtoon, right? So basically, what we know is that Jang Geun-suk plays the titular pretty man who's main goal is to woo the gorgeous Han Chae-young. But she plans on training him first and gives him the task of conquering 10 of the most eligible bachelorettes in the city. IU, on the other hand, plays your average girl-next-door who falls in love with our pretty man the moment she lays eyes on him in junior high. And, of course, Lee Jang-woo plays the nice guy who falls in love with IU's Plain Jane.
I've taken to calling this drama Pretty Man, based on the direct translation of its Korean title "예쁜남자 (Yeppeun Namja)" but KBS seems to have other plans as they've since been releasing teasers with the English title Bel Ami. Which is not actually English but French and translates to "pretty friend." This title references a Guy de Maupassant novel which, according to Wikipedia, "chronicles a man's corrupt rise to power from a poor police officer to one of the most successful men in Paris - most of which he achieves by manipulating a series of powerful, intelligent, and wealthy mistresses."
Despite my busy drama-watching schedule, it's not like I have a choice on whether or not to tune into this drama. Is there any question about tuning in? Nope. The only remaining question is, eotteokhae?!
Pretty Man premieres Wednesday on KBS, replacing current melodrama Secret.
Ha. I've actually taken to calling Mi-rae's Choice just plain "Marry" when I talk to my sister (because she knows it by its English title), or just Mi-rae when I talk to friends. The whole Marry Him If You Dare thing is just too damn long.
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