Dramas I like: Partner

[alexandral]

Whilst on holidays I decided to promptly post about the Asian dramas or shows I like. There have been quite few Japanese and Korean dramas that I don't see in many posts but which I thought were excellent, interesting and in need of promotion.



This week, I am almost through "Partner", a 16-episode Korean drama set in a law firm. It stars Kim Hyun-joo (last seen as Jun Pyo's older sister from "Boys over flowers") and Lee Dong Wook (last seen in "My Girl").

I like this drama very much. I confess that I often use fast forward button whist watching Korean dramas. Quite often I find that the pace is slow-ish, that there are some unnecessary secondary characters, some weird comic relief scenes and other stuff I can do well without. And this happens even in the best of Korean dramas, even in the majority of my favourites. An average Korean drama is 16-24 hours long and cutting 25% of unnecessary stuff means you can save yourself 4-6 hours of time you are never going to get back otherwise.

"Partner" is in a smaller category of Korean dramas where I don't need to use the fast forward button at all. It's court-room related story arc is interesting and fast moving.It is not really one single arc but 3-4 smaller ones that are connected and flow into the one bigger arc that affects all the main characters personally. The romantic storyline is also wonderful and develops very naturally. The leads have great chemistry together. Their talented lawyer in a tortured bad boy body and compassionate widowed mother (also talented lawyer) combination is lovely.

"Partner" is also a rarity because it doesn't have an "evil secondary girl" character. If I make a list of my most disliked Korean drama stereotypes the "evil secondary girl" will be at the top of the list. I just can't understand why there seems to be such an unfair thing : from time to time Korean dramas have secondary males who are the pillars of altruism but they never have a secondary female who is anything but psychotic stalker. Women can never be altruistic?

And the third rare thing is that "Partner" has a second great pairing alongside the main one. I am not usually a fan of pairings where one side is already married, but for Lee Young Woo and Han Jung Won I must make an exception. They belong together and woe be to Lee Young Woo's evil father who stopped their relationship when they were younger.

Comments

[amandioka.livejournal.com]

He's just too cute for words ^_^ thanks for the pics!

I've been wondering about this drama, hoping someone would talk about it so I could decide to watch it or not. Thanks for reviewing it! Just one question, though... I think I read somewhere that there isn't even a kiss between the main pairing, is it true?

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

This is true and probably this is the only big minus that I can see. There are plenty of other scenes and it is made clear at the end that they will be together, but - alas! no kiss. I understand from soompi that everyone hoped for Partner 2 and but then Lee Dong Wook enrolled into the army .. ** sigh **

In a way, "Partner" reminded me of "Mawang" (if you have seen it) . It has a very good crime story at the middle of it, plenty of tortured individuals and plenty of OTP but no kisses. The only difference is that everythings ends happily in "Partner".

[ambergold.livejournal.com]

what, no kisses in Mawang?? I've been wanting to watch it for a while but now *moves it down* I hated that aspect of Partner so much.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

You must watch "Mawang" ASAP. It is absolute classic, kisses or not.

I didn't mind the lack of kisses that much, my biggest peeve is when the kisses are "drama kisses" (close lips, no emotion). It spoils a lot for me - all that emotion build-up, etc and then - phew! They kiss as if they are totally cold towards each other.

[ambergold.livejournal.com]

woo, Partner! I loved it so, so much, in fact it even made my list of top 10 dramas http://ambergold.livejournal.com/155811.html#cutid1 though I hated the ending. More people should watch it.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

YAY!!!!!! It might end in my top 10 too - it is a great drama as far as the OTP chemistry goes and very well written. Why didn't you like the ending? Because of no kisses? I think they clearly shown that Eun Ho and Tae Jo are going to be together eventually. And even in the case of Lee Young Woo and Han Jung Won I made up a story that once Yong Woo lost everything his wife will divorce him and Jung Won will come to the rescue. So at the end him getting arrested is for the best. :D

[hyperhippot.livejournal.com]

Ah! some Partner love!

I loved the secondary couple, they were so cold and messed up in their own way and so functional together ^_^

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

YAY!

And I liked how it finished - the guy had to pay for what he and his father had been doing for so long but there is a tiny hope that when he is in jail his wife will divorce him. :D

[hyperhippot.livejournal.com]

Ah that scene at old brother's office when he removes his tie and grabs the bag as in "I'm done, time to start my happy life" would have been gold if only we'd gotten some dreadful dad's pain, I wanted so much to see that horrible father handcuffed! but I could see some jail time and then a happy ever after life for him :)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

would have been gold if only we'd gotten some dreadful dad's pain, I wanted so much to see that horrible father handcuffed!

Me too! I really like the actor who played the father and usually he plays nice dads, but here - he was hateful.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I was thinking of checking this out but it seems to have done the one thing I hate the most - unresolved ending (secondary OTP does not get resolved at all? And main one only hinted at?) I think that would drive me nuts.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

The ending is as follows:

main OTP: they are walking holding hands into the sunset. I took it as a BIG hint that they will be together (well, as far as I can tell in kdrama hand holding = having sex), but alas - no kisses.

secondary OTP: he went to prison (he was married) and she is pregnant with his baby and has gone away to some other country. OTP is resolved as "they have separated" but seems to have implications for the future.

Main conspiracy story: resolved (don't want to spoil)

As far as I can judge, you can like:
1. Both herouines are AWESOME, in a big way. As in - REALLY REALLY awesome. The main one is a single mother and very talented lawyer, the second one is a great lawyer and a very very sexy lady.
2. Father issues for everyone.
3. it is more than a love story

I don't know how the ending will fare with you - for me personally the first OTP ended with "Great, they will be together" , because as I said in kdrama hand holding = sex (I wish there was a kiss, though, but there were some hugs).

The secondary one was an impossible OTP for a Korean drama - he is married, with a kid to a non-crazy woman (I hated her though), she is his first love and his father (his and the main guys, they are brothers) is totally opposed to their relationship. HATE HATE HATE the father . There was no way in Kdrama they two could have ended together.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

He is in prison ?????!!!! Argh, secondary OTP sounds like my thing so this is going to drive me nuts but at least it's resolved, so yay (in Loveholic, she married a nice guy but then divorced him and got with the hero. Now I am going to think if there are other dramas that feature *gasp* divorce)

I've seen bits of this (the kneeling scene killed me dead dead dead) so I want to watch it very badly - glad the main OTP hooks up, I think that means I'll give it a go.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Yes, their father and he were involved in some unsavoury things, but got comeuppance at the end.

"Last Scandal" had a divorce, but it was against her wishes, she whould have been stuck with that do-no-godder for ages. Kdrama and divorce don't go well together.

Also of good things:

1. Main girls son is cute and is very ill
2. Lee Dong Wook has lots and lots of manpain, over father issues, over feeling guilty for his friend's death, then feeling guilty that his family was involved in the death of herouine's husband and her son's illness. LOTS OF MANPAIN. Also at the beginning he is sort of in love with the secondary girl so he has lots of manpain over her and his brother's relationship.

You can always check the ending first and leave it if you can't live with it.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Now I am REALLY curious about divorce in kdrama world! I know in Phoenix they were a divorced couple who got back together (or was it in Alone in Love?)

Ooooh, I know! In Que Sera Sera heroine married secondary guy (who was awesome) for a while.

I am totally going to explore this more :P

I am going to take your advice and check out the ending - it all sounds so very very good!

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Yes, in "Phoenix" the main couple got divorced and re-united at the end. This one could be your cup of tea - it is really over the top angsty. I couldn't stand all the angst at some point.

I have heard of "Alone in love" - I think it is the same story, they re-unite at the end.

Ooooh, I know! In Que Sera Sera heroine married secondary guy (who was awesome) for a while.

Que Sera Sera is really a very un-traditional drama, so many taboos were broken there! I love the secondary guy.

I am totally going to explore this more :P

I can feel a post coming! :D

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I have had Phoenix for ages - must get to it.

I loved the secondary guy in QSS (much better person than the hero, though I did not ship him with the heroine - I loved the dysfunctional main otp) and wanted him and secondary girl to hook up in their forbidden stepsibling fashion.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I have had Phoenix for ages - must get to it.

Of things you like it also has the craziest secondary girl. I mean - have seen few in my life but that one was a psycho. It also had very very hot Eric.

and wanted him and secondary girl to hook up in their forbidden stepsibling fashion.

Exactly! me too! They were so hot at the beginning. I am totally going to think they ended up together. But no Kdrama gone so far as really hook two step-siblings. The best we can get here is all that dying in "Tree of heaven" .

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

But no Kdrama gone so far as really hook two step-siblings

I beg to differ :) One Fine Day had stepsiblings end up together, happily :) I am sure there must be more though...must think.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Oh yes! That is true! Then I totally have an excuse to think they ended up together in Que Sera Sera too!

I can't think of any others..

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I can think of another one - Resurrection! I mean, the end is a little open but they say that once he detoxes from all the bad stuff he had to do in order to get his revenge, he is coming back to her.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, that is true. but they had to leave the ending a bit opened.

Remember Russian classics - they used to marry their cousins in 19th century Russia, easily!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I think they left it open-ended because of the fact that he got people dead, not cousinhood though.

Remember Russian classics - they used to marry their cousins in 19th century Russia, easily!

Yup, growing up on that and Victorian lit, it took me years before I even realized this sort of thing was odd. Btw, cousin marriage is legal in one-third of the states (which means it's valid in all) and I don't think there are any laws against stepsibling marriage, here.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I think they left it open-ended because of the fact that he got people dead, not cousinhood though.

True. It was already lucky he has survived!