REDEMPTION?!
The rumor in Kdramaland was that TvN halted production of My Shy Boss, and even rewrote/reshot episodes 5 and 6 based on negative viewer comments.
So, did they really redeem themselves? Did they save this train wreck of painfully awkward characters and misunderstood plotlines?
Why yes. Yes, they did.
In order to understand why it was so unbearable to watch for the first 3-ish episodes, I needed to see these two well-written ones to see what their vision had been. It was after watching the good episodes that I understand what they were trying to do from the beginning, but failed to convey initially.
First of all, we NEEDED that backstory. They began this show with horribly flawed characters–to the point where it was just too awful to watch. They were so flawed that we as viewers couldn’t connect with them. It felt like a caricature. Based on that feedback, I think TvN took all that backstory they were parsing out to us in flashback bits, and just handed it to us in one episode.
Everything made sense all of a sudden.
The reason she’s a jerkwad to him, the reason he’s so painfully shy, the reason that his best friend (brother?) acts the way he does, and the reason the sister committed suicide and Hwan Ki feels responsible. All of that was revealed and I was like ohhhhhhhh.
So not only did I understand why the characters acted the way they did, the writers also guided the plot so these same characters could soften the harder edges of those flaws, and make it more watchable. Ro Woon goes from belligerent and obnoxious to…let’s say enthusiastically optimistic. I believe that’s what they had envisioned for her from the outset. And Hwan Ki is still so shy he makes me bury my face in frustration, but it’s in a cute way. And he’s finally showing progress and giving us glimpses of who he could be. We also saw how he used to be before the suicide incident, and that gave us a new dimension to his character we needed.
In episode six, there were some truly wonderful scenes that helped me fall for this show. In particular, I really appreciated the scene with Dang Yoo Hee, where they touched on mothers feeling like they can be real people, and not just matriarchal old ladies all the time. That resonated with me because, hey, I’m an ahjummah with 4 kids.
And then there was this scene with the charades and the eagle thing. I couldn’t stop laughing!
Throw in a sprinkle of skinship, and some overt romantic advances, and voila! You have a Kdrama worth saving.
I know that the ratings still weren’t stellar, but my hope is that the changes the writers and director made will help viewers tune in and give this romance a chance to develop. I think it could be something really special if given the chance.
So there you have it. They’ve made a believer out of me, and I’ll be eagerly awaiting episodes seven and eight next week!
What did you think of episodes five and six? Let me know!
-Devon-
Devon & Cornwall 
Again, an excellent, well-written critique that makes me want to see the show for myself. So, devonandcornwall, it’s time for you to bloomin’ TELL ME HOW I CAN SEE K-DRAMAS! Please.
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Haha, yes, I’ve snagged a new one! dramafever has an app for tablets and TVs, or you can watch it online. Viki.com is the same, but they tend to have different shows. So if dramafever doesn’t have a show, then you can be reasonably confident that Viki will have it.
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It’s funny, I already enjoyed this show from the beginning and as a fiction writer, I saw in advance what they were trying to do. Make those detestable characters so we can enjoy their growth later, I came to terms with that a K-Drama trope. Though it is subjective whether or not the characters were relatable starting off, again Hwan Ki at least was.
But yeah, episode 5 and 6 stepped it up a notch by a whole lot. I was only LIKING this show before, but now I LOVE it! Chae Ro Woon does seem more defined, because it did perplex me how nice she was about getting into that fender bender with Hwan Ki, but then all of a sudden being this rage filled revenge plotty kinda character.
I didn’t know if it was a good contradiction to have about her, that she’s nice about everything else, but when it comes to her sister she’s total aggro. However, even with episode 4 I believe where it happened, it was still nice to see that moment where she doubted she felt good about getting revenge on Hwan Ki at that presentation he bombed.
Luckily they still had good enough moments like that before the whole revision stage.
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Yes, those are awesome observations! I think they just didn’t convey what they meant to initially. Or maybe they did, but we really needed some context to wrap our minds around the harsh lines of these characters. I really believe that a successful drama makes sure that the viewer becomes emotionally invested in the characters as soon as possible! I’m glad they did finally manage to do that! I find myself looking forward to the episodes now.
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dear I was supposed to drop this drama already, but you gave me a ray of hope… haha But Saimdang, I don’t know if you have seen it really lulls me to sleep. I will go and pick this up again per your recommendation, and because I’m curious how they resuscitated this drama. ^_^
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I’m crossing my fingers that the upward trend continues! Come on, writers! You can do it! Fighting! ^.^
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Well it definately redeemed itself a lot, it was time that they gave the characters more weight and shape, I’ve seen other side of them and that help understand what they’re going through. And besides he deserved a chance to prove himself and yes at first it was too awkward to watch.
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