Triple, ep. 01-04

[oyceter]

Lee Ha Ru is a high school girl who used to competitively skate before an accident five years ago. But now she wants to try again, and to get a good coach, she needs to move to Seoul. The problem is, the only person she knows there is the 30-some stepbrother who wants nothing to do with her.

Despite the premise, the story isn't actually about Ha Ru. She narrates the beginning and ending, but much of the focus is on her brother Shin Hwal and his two friends/housemates, Jo Hae Yoon (played by Lee Seon Gyun!) and Kang Hyun Tae.

I've been looking forward to this drama ever since I heard about it—figure skating! Lee Seon Gyun! Coffee Prince's PD!—but sadly, I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep watching thanks to a specific character.

The show starts out as low-key and charming, and I very much love Ha Ru's developing relationship with her brother (platonic siblings, people, no incest!). I also love the focus on Ha Ru's skating and the guys' work creating ads. However, the non-Ha Ru female characters aren't faring particularly well. I keep wanting to whap Choi Su In, and I tend to be very forgiving of the "mean" female character! It's just that she has about as much backbone as a wet dish rag when it comes to men, and little personality to boot. She's best when she's coaching Ha Ru. Kang Sang Hee has a lot of quirks, but also very little personality. Like Hae Yoon, we never know what she's thinking, and so far, she seems extremely peripheral to the plot.

As such, all my favorite sequences happen in the house with Ha Ru goofing off and all three guys acting as gruff, vaguely amused, and/or pampering older brothers.

Spoilers are annoyed

I would keep watching despite not liking Su In and Sang Hee except for Hyun Tae, whom I want to smack every single time he's on screen. I thought I could deal with it, but I got halfway through episode 5 before throwing my hands up in disgust.

He's such a stalker! OMG! I hate him so much! What kind of a person sets up a basketball hoop in the backyard of a woman who keeps saying she's going to call the police on him? And I hate hate hate that we're supposed to find him boyishly charming or something. I do not! I want to serve him a restraining order, call the cops on him, and never let him within ten feet of anyone! He's always in her personal space and making her do stuff! ARGH!

I also dislike Su In. I was wondering if it was partly because of Hyun Tae, but I dislike blaming her when he's obviously pushy beyond all measure. No, I dislike her because of her vaguely stalkerish behavior toward Shin Hwal. Also, she always seems very sad and droopy, and I want to shake some spine into her. The thing is, I usually do root for the secondary woman, but I think the writers may have made the mistake of making her too humble yet stalkery at the same time.

So... does this get better? Or will I keep wanting to throw things? (Potential spoilers in comments!)

Oh, also! I am in the mood for fluffy romantic comedy dramas, preferably without gender politics that make me want to spork someone. Any recs? I liked Dal Ja's Spring, Coffee Prince, Fantasy Couple; I thought Kim Sam Soon was ok; and so far am liking My Fair Lady. Bonus points if it's available on Drama Fever! (Also, I don't really want to watch Goong, but if enough people are convincing, I will consider it.)

Comments

[rilina]

I stalled out at episode 8, and have not been inspired to get started again.

Don't watch Goong, unless there's a drinking game involved.

[oyceter]

Sigh. I just went and spoiled myself for the ending and... I think I will keep avoiding. Darn!

[rilina]

Well, now that you've done that, I can admit I did the same and give that as my reason for also avoiding!

[oyceter]

Two of the three couples I dislike! Not doable...

[anenko]

I haven't seen Triple, but a lot of people on my flist adored it until the end. The OTP most people were into didn't go anywhere. See: http://uisceros.livejournal.com/tag/triple and http://community.livejournal.com/rainscene/18270.html.

I liked That Fool/Six Months/Accidental Couple; it was sweet and the hero and heroine were both *nice* people. Last Scandal was also a terrific series, although the hero is a bit of a jackass in the early episodes, and there were a few scenes in the first two episodes that pinged my embarrassment squick. I have picspams for both series, if you go for that sort of thing.

We're watching 9 End 2 Outs for dorama_watch starting next week; it's supposed to be excellent.

[shewhohashope]

I'm looking forward to 9 end 2 outs as well!

And in romantic comedies, I recently watched Imagine Me & You [starring Lena Headey!], which was cute.

[anenko]

I'm looking forward to 9 end 2 outs as well!

I already acquired the first episode! I love stories about cohabitation and best friends, so I'm really looking forward to watching 9E2O.

oyceter, dangermousie has watched a *lot* of kdramas; you might be able to find something of interest if you browse through her tags. She likes the angsty stuff, though.

Oh! The Vineyard Man is supposed to be very sweet, and stars Coffee Prince's Yoon Eun Hye.

[oyceter]

Oh cool, thanks for the tips! I will check those out.

[oyceter]

Ooo, is that a movie? I have a hard time imagining Lena Headey in a romantic comedy now, especially after SCC!

[shewhohashope]

It is a film! It also stars piper perabo and anthony head. Lena headey was pretty good in it, I'm looking forward to seeing her as cersei.

[shewhohashope]

Oh, and the lady in my icon makes a brief cameo at the end, which pushes my love for the film up to eleven.

[oyceter]

Awesome!

[oyceter]

Okay, I think I will avoid finishing Triple! Thanks for the links!

I just watched the first ep of 9 Ends 2 Outs and really enjoyed it!

[liquorice_swirl]

Drive by comment.

I think I'll avoid this one.

It has been a while since I saw it but I think My Girl might fit your criteria.

[oyceter]

I started watching My Girl last year I think! I was a little put off by how slapstick the beginning was, but may pick it up again some time.

[liquorice_swirl]

I seem to remember that the slapsticks faded away after a few episodes. It has been filed in my memory as a series with humor like Dal Ja's spring.

[oyceter]

Cool! Yeah, I figured it'd fade away after a while, like Fantasy Couple, but just hadn't been connecting with it. Maybe I will pick it up again some time.

[thistleingrey]

Despite enjoying watching ep. 1 with you and rilina, I haven't gone back to it--I've been reading the recaps at Dramabeans instead. Usually, when I like something, I read *in addition* (spoilers rarely bother me). I dunno--haven't felt compelled.

Apparently, Hyŏn Tae becomes less annoyingly stalkery, but it sounds as though the replacement behaviors / situation(s) are not much more pleasing (to me, anyway), and I . . . kind of disapprove of how strongly he indulges himself. Just on principle.

[oyceter]

Yeaaaah.... I really liked the first few episodes and the Hwal and Haru interaction, but Hyun Tae annoys me more and more and more. Ugh. I just want to slap him.

[troisroyaumes]

I dropped the series as well. Hyuntae did not get better in my book, and I was also not too enthused by the Hwal/Haru developments.

Hmm, Be Strong Geumsoon is on MySoju and stars Kang Jihwan (though he doesn't show up for the first ten episodes). It's a long series though and falls more in the "daily family" genre although it is mostly comic. Not so much free of gender politics as more realistic about how it plays out in modern Korean society. I have to admit I haven't finished it myself, but I remember it was really popular when it aired, especially because it explored a lot of stigmas against single mothers.

The other recommendation I have is Hwang Jin-yi, which is a sageuk but only 26 episodes. I'm not sure if you've watched it already but Ha Jiwon from Damo stars in it as the title character, and her performance is quite seriously my most favorite female character role in any K-drama I've watched. It's a beautiful series too.

[oyceter]

I read! And in manga I am not always against incest, but they read so much as big brother/little sister to me that it kind of squicks me out. Also, there's a really big life stage difference between them.

Oooo Kang Jihwan....

Oh! I've had Hwang Jin-yi downloaded for the longest time and watched the first ep or so, but I never got further into it... I hear it's fairly depressing? My brain seems to be more in the mood for fluff lately.