Friday, March 1, 2013

K-drama addiction! ( That Winter, The Wind Blows)

For those of you who are fully aware of my K-drama addiction, I know you knew that this moment would come. The day that I would blog about my latest Korean drama obsession. For days now, I was trying to avoid this subject because I don't want to appear so predictable but then again this is a personal blog so therefore I can discuss anything I like and it will be all up to my readers to filter my posts.


that winter, the wind blows


Moving on, I have been suffering from a melodrama slump ever since watching " I Miss You", it turned out to be a so-so drama. This made me a little more careful on the next melodrama I would consume my time with. With that in mind, I waited for the perfect drama to give me that sense of urgency and excitement that would force me to write about it. Alas! I found those feelings while watching the recently premiered winter drama "That Winter, The Wind Blows"! I don't even know where to begin. This is a 2013 Korean Drama that has been stirring a lot of buzz in Korea lately as well as among the netizens who can't wait for it's country's local airing.I know it isn't right to review a series only after watching a few episodes, but it's so promising in becoming a hit as it clearly demonstrates on its current ratings plus its effect on me is crazy so I just had to do this post! Let me breakdown the reasons that brought me back to drama-land again.


-First and foremost would have to be the casting! To the team behind this drama who thought Jo In Sung and Song Hye Kyo should be paired up in a melodrama, my deepest gratitude to you all for making this happen. These two are not only great actors in their own right but they are also among Korea's most beautiful people. The camera loves them. No matter how how I see it, I can't catch any bad angle coming from them. For the record not all good looking pairs work out well on camera. Some just doesn't have the chemistry but goodness grace, not with this pair, they have chemistry oozing all over although they are suppose to be siblings in this drama. To top it off, they were not satisfied in casting only two eye candies for this drama, they just have to include Kim Bum ( Boys Over Flowers) in the picture which made this an almost perfect cast. 


that winter, the wind blows




that winter, the wind blows




that winter, the wind blows



-The plot so far has been very consistent and intriguing. It revolves around Oh Soo (Jo In Sung) who is a conman and a womanizer whose living a meaningless life after being abandoned as a child who later on takes his friend's identity as the long lost brother of the heiress of a big company,Oh Young (Song Hye Kyo), who became blind after her separation with her brother and mother as a child. So far, the story line just keeps getting better and better. The cliffhanger at the end of each episode served its purpose so well as I kept wishing that the next episode would air right away so that  I wouldn't have to wait for another week. This is the price I have to pay for watching this drama as it continues to air in Korea. 


that winter, the wind blows


-I'd give this drama an A+ for acting. Jo In Sung who gave a very lasting impression on his role 
as Jung Jae Min/ Paolo in Memories of Bali brought back flavorful acting skills for his role as Oh Soo. I find it hard to condemn his character for his deception as he himself can't profit from it anytime soon. Meanwhile, Song Hye Kyo's portrayal of  Oh Young, a blind girl has been seemingly flawless as far as I'm concern. I know she's doing a good job in this role since I don't compare it as much to her other popular acting gigs such as in Full House and Autumn in my Heart. You'll also get to see a different side to Kim Bum's acting as it looks like he is suffering from unrequited love ( so can't happen in real life).


that winter, the wind blows


-Lastly, the cinematography, setting and original soundtrack are very well played along with the romantic story it's telling. It doesn't feel like the music is too emotional that it almost steals the scene which happens most of the time in melodramatic dramas. I like that they chose winter as the main theme for the story because it blends well with the melancholy you feel from each of the character's role. On the other hand, great cinematography is always expected from almost any Korean drama. They have advance techniques that I can only wish to be applied in our local teleseryes. 

Overall, this drama is heading to a good place. It has a fresh take on a somewhat familiar plot. I was a bit of skeptic on how they would execute such a complex story but so far the unfolding of each event had left me pleased and eager for the next scene, certainly, a drama worth looking forward to every week. 






















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