1% of Anything

1% of Anything

7/10

1% of Anything

Genre:                                Episodes: 16                           Year: 2016

Romance

Comedy

Synopsis:

Lee Jae In is a smart, successful man who comes from a wealthy family. Seeing that his grandson is growing arrogant and has few personal relationships, Jae In’s grandfather orders that Jae In cannot inherit the family company unless he marries Kim Da Hyun, a kind teacher who has no interest in money who Jae In has never met.

Cast:

Ha Suk Jin (Lee Jae In)

Jeon So Min (Kim Da Hyun)

Kim Hyung Min (Min Tae Ha)

Im Do Yoon (Jung Hyun Jin)

Joo Jin Mo (Lee Kyu Chul)

Kim Sun Hyuk (Park Hyung Joon)

Choi Sung Jae (Jung Sun Woo)

Seo Eun Chae (Han Joo Hee)

Baek Seung Heon (Ji Soo)

Lee Hae In (Soo Jung)

General Thoughts:

I haven’t seen the 2003 original, but the 2016 version of ‘1% of Anything’ is just delightful. It had the old-school rom-com vibe that I’m sure comes from being based of an early ‘00s drama, but it also had a nice modern feel that prevented the show from coming across as too dated.

So much cute. Like, SO much.

The source material itself is nothing new- rich guy meets poor girl. It is literally the most common of all K-Drama tropes. You’re pretty much guaranteed to get a handful of dramas along those lines every year. However, despite its rather common set-up the show itself didn’t feel common. The characters were fresh and interesting and made the story seem new even if we’ve heard it a thousand times.

Girl got sass

The biggest difference between this drama and every other chaebol rom-com out there is that we weren’t given the stock standard Candy girl heroine. That’s right folks- our heroine actually had personality and autonomy! And boy what a difference that made. For one, it actually made sense that our hero would fall for her. Yes, Da Hyun was sugar and spice and all things nice, but she also had a refreshing sassy streak. Rather than accidentally and quietly bumbling her way into a contract relationship she adamantly refuses the hero’s offer until the contract relationship becomes something she’s willing to do for her own benefit. Not once in the whole drama did Da Hyun do something without seriously thinking it over and deciding for herself what she thought the best course of action was. Not only did Da Hyun’s large amount of personality and character simply make her more appealing to watch, it also made situations in the story more interesting. It’s much more fun watching a girl trample on a rich man’s pride than it is watching her go meekly along with his every whim. In fact, it was really more of the opposite.

Dada calls the shots here

Sure, Jae In was the one who originally proposed the contract relationship, but before long it becomes clear that Da Hyun is the one calling the shots. The slight power reversal made the show feel unique and interesting, and served to make Da Hyun seem stronger and more confident than other heroines and Jae In seem softer, and frankly more likeable, than other assy, rich heroes.

Gradual development rather than sudden transformation

Jae In’s character was more stock-standard than Da Hyun’s. He was your usual rich boy who’s doesn’t have great interpersonal skills. But the show did handle his development nicely. What the writers managed to convey really well was that Jae In had always been a nice guy- he just covered it up in order to get the job done at work. He was always sweet to his adoptive mother, and didn’t appear to hate his cousin at all. By showcasing this softer side of Jae In, even just a little, the show made it abundantly clear that Da Hyun wasn’t actually changing Jae In at all. She was simply bringing out the best traits that were already there. Around Da Hyun, Jae In could relax and felt safe opening up, so it made sense that in that situation his more vulnerable side was shown. Jeon So Min did a great job as our heroine- the blunt, slightly sassy character fit her to a tee. Her character actually reminded me a lot of the way she is on ‘Running Man’, so it was excellent on her part that as the show went on I was viewing her as Da Hyun rather than Jeon So Min despite certain similarities. I’m really starting to warm up to Ha Suk Jin now. I think we just got off on the wrong foot, as I found him and his character really sweet and endearing in this drama.

What a total marshmallow 

He’s very good at taking bristly, prideful characters and showing how they soften as they are loved. I will admit that I found Jae In quite pushy at times though. The amount of times he grabbed Da Hyun by the wrist and dragged her around (even once their feelings were mutual) didn’t sit quite right with me. As enjoyable as the character was, I do think he came on way too strong at times. It’s a good thing we had a heroine who was so good at expressing when she was uncomfortable, else Jae In might have come across a wee bit creepy.

Dear K-Drama writers: pushy men dragging girls around are NOT APPEALING

As for the side characters…wait, were there any other characters in this drama? While this K-Drama did have a few characters sprinkled through it, they really did nothing. They were only there for our main leads to bounce off and interact with when they couldn’t interact with each other.

Mildly unimportant

And to occasionally bring out a particular plot point. But to be frank, I didn’t really mind that the side characters didn’t matter all that much, because I was just having so much fun watching Da Hyun and Jae In interact with each other. Tae Ha was probably the most unseen second male lead ever. I don’t even think he made a proper appearance until about halfway through the drama. As a character he was sweet, and I enjoyed that he had a friendly vibe with Jae In rather than being the usual rival. It might have been nice to see a bit more of him throughout the drama, as it was kind of hard to get a grasp on his character as we saw him so little. I wouldn’t have minded at all if his love-line with Hyun Jin had been brought in a bit earlier, because that was adorable and hilarious. Joo Hee was a total whack job so I’m glad that her screen time was pretty minimal. That being said, I appreciated how Da Hyun didn’t fall for any of her stupid manipulations and actually had the opportunity to give Joo Hee a good smackdown every now and then. It showed that our heroine had backbone and that our hero wasn’t getting swayed by some manipulative cow. 

You tell her what's what Dada

I enjoyed that for the most part the parents were kept out of the story. I understand that Korean parents and in-laws are probably more involved in their children's’ relationships than in western culture, but one of my biggest hates in K-Drama is functional adults caving to their parents’ meddling. It drives me nuts. The issue of parental consent was still there, but it wasn’t a heavy plot point and was resolved fairly quickly. It was nice that Jae In’s mother wasn’t the one who was against the relationship (the way it usually is when chaebols want to marry an everyday girl). I absolutely adored the scene of Jae In’s mother standing up for Da Hyun in front of other rich socialites.

Mum's approval earns my approval

The visuals of the drama were quite nice, but I did occasionally wish that our characters would venture somewhere new. It sometimes felt as though there were only certain places our characters were allowed to interact (the hotel, their houses, the school) and they didn’t often stray outside that setting. It could have been nice to see how different settings brought out different characteristics, such as their date on the beach did, but all in all it’s not a big complaint.

What Was Great:

All That Cute:

The biggest thing this show has going for it is just how darn cute it is. Sometimes it’s a bit funny how K-Drama rom-coms tend to lack basic skinship.

Look at all those adorable feelings

The characters will be declaring that they’re madly in love but will barely hold hands. Not here. ‘1%’ is loaded with close contact. It started small and warmed up to the bigger moments and longer kisses. It made the relationship feel real and authentic (normal adults don’t date for months with only 3-second kisses). It also provided another way to see our hero’s feelings. At the beginning of the relationship he didn’t really touch Da Hyun. However as he started to fall for her we could see him starting to reach out for her by holding her hand or touching her face. It was a cute look in on how fast and how deeply he was falling for Da Hyun. The same could be said for Da Hyun. She never went along with anything she wasn’t comfortable with and wasn’t afraid to give Jae In the cheek when she didn’t want to kiss him. It made the moments they did share together feel special and earned, even when they occurred so often. Although the show had a lot of skinship in it, it never felt like skinship for skinship’s sake. Every touch and every kiss had a reason and helped further develop the story, the characters or their relationship. Jeon So Min and Ha Suk Jin had some excellent chemistry, and it felt like they were really comfortable with each other.

And look at all that fantastic snogging

They had a light, breezy vibe but could hint at the deeper feelings beneath their flirting. I also applaud Ha Suk Jin for being able to say so many cheesy lines with such a serious face. It was all kinds of delightful, and I loved watching this couple be together.

What Wasn’t:

No Extra Punch:

It was cute and it was fun but it didn't have that special something. It was missing that 1% if you will (ha ha).

But I'm sufficiently happy watching them like each other for 16 hours

I can’t quite put my finger on it because I really enjoyed the show, but there was nothing in me that was thinking ‘yes, this is a phenomenal K-Drama and I must tell everyone about it’. Perhaps it’s because the stakes were pretty low- like, there was no way this couple was going to end up not being together, or perhaps it was the lack of depth in the side characters- like, is Jae In’s sister even remotely important to this story? I think it’s just the way these light and frothy rom-coms are. They’re easy to enjoy and can be completely loveable, but they feel very safe. There’s nothing really wrong with that, particularly when the leads are so wonderful, but it does mean that I might not be as emotionally involved as I am with dramas that have more dramatic tension.

Recommend?

If you’re looking for a light and bubbly rom-com this is the one for you. It’s fun and interesting but not too taxing on the brain.

Fabulously fluffy

I Need Romance 2011

I Need Romance 2011

5.5/10

I Need Romance 2011 

Genre:                                   Episodes: 16                                   Year: 2011

Romance

Comedy

Melodrama

Synopsis:

The story follows Sun Woo In Young and her two friends, Park Seo Yeon and Kang Hyun Joo. Sun Woo In Young is a concierge manager at a hotel, and has been dating Kim Sung Soo for around 10 years. Bae Sung Hyun is her junior at work who has had feelings for her for quite some time. After In Young discovers that Sung Soo has cheated on her, Sung Hyun sees it as an opportunity to confess his feelings. Kang Hyun Joo is a divorce lawyer who is left at the altar, but hires a man to pose as her husband to prevent embarrassing herself in front of her many wedding guests. Hyun Joo is distraught after finding out that she was dumped because her fiancée does not find her sexy, and sets out to lose her virginity. Park Seo Yeon is the president and model for a popular online clothing store. She is a serial-dater with a unique, open-minded view on love.

Cast:

Jo Yeo Jeong (Sun Woo In Young)

Kim Jeong Hoon (Kim Sung Soo)

Choi Jin Hyuk (Bae Sung Hyun)

Choi Yeo Jin (Park Seo Yeon)

Choi Song Hyun (Kang Hyun Joo)

Kim Hyung Min (Kim Deok Soo)

Ha Yeon Joo (Yoon Kang Hee)

General Thoughts:

I’m so conflicted about this drama. I absolutely HATED the first half, but I absolutely LOVED the end, and I know there’s no way we could have had that ending with any other start but the one we had. While I wouldn’t go as far as saying I liked the drama, somehow I still have a weird fondness for it. It makes me feel like a schizophrenic.

I don't know how to feel

I wasn’t particularly drawn to any of the characters, but they were developed well. The writers were very clearly able to easily and accurately display who our characters were, and they were consistent throughout- none of this character flip-flopping we often get in K-Dramas. All the characters were very unique, without coming across as over-fictionalised or unrealistic.

Moral of the story:
Jeong Hoon can cheat on you as many times as he wants cuz he has killer puppy-eyes

Apart from the continual relationship developments, there wasn’t much else going on plot-wise, but there was so much happening with relationships that this didn’t really matter. The main love-triangle was also nice and unpredictable- right until the end it’s hard to tell which way the main female lead will swing. I actually spent a good portion of this drama believing she would end up with nobody. Which was totally possible, because this drama does not follow any sort of common storyline with any K-Drama I have seen so far. The acting was all brilliant- you can’t fault anyone there. Kim Jeong Hoon makes the greatest abandoned, remorseful, despairing boyfriend ever. Choi Jin Hyuk makes a pretty top-notch chaebol too.

What Was Great:

Unpredictable:

The leading female character has a mind that is all over the place. This results in a plot that is damn near impossible to predict. A lot of the unpredictability actually came from In Young acting in very realistic ways. While it’s easy for an audience to see what the ‘better’, more sensible choice is, as a character In Young is not privy to all this information. As a viewer, we can also detach our emotions from the situation and view it rationally, while our characters (rightly so) cannot do this.

I'll admit- it's a tough choice

One of the fantastic aspects of this drama is seeing In Young debate the two paths she has in front of her. She has a pretty good idea of which man she should rationally be choosing- but a very human lingering attachment keeps her looking back at Sung Soo. And after 10 years, who can blame her?

Female Characters:

While the bulk of the main plot circled In Young and her two very handsome men, the underlying friendship of the three women was consistent throughout. It was just such a nice change to have more female main characters than just the leading lady and her love rival. It was actually extremely enjoyable that the love-rival, while very present, took a backseat to our heroine and her two friends.

Because who need boys?

It kept the b*tch levels down and prevented us from falling too deeply into the tired and overused plotline of a jealous side-girl messing with the main female lead for the attention of a man. This common plotline did peek its head in a little, but was thankfully kept minimal. Hyun Joo and Seo Yeon both have interesting storylines in their own rights and are cute, unique characters that differ widely from the main female lead.

Snogging:

It’s nice to have some decent kissing and not just the frozen-in-place, camera-spin-around kisses we usually get.

Are you taking notes, Park Shin Hye?

That Ending:

Oh it was perfect. I was so surprised. I had virtually checked out of this drama- I didn’t really like anyone, but I wanted to know what happened, and then that wonderful, masterpiece of an ending. It wasn’t showy or cheesy, but it was so, so, so deeply satisfying. All at once everything just clicked into place, and you understand why the beginning of the drama went the way it did.

What Wasn’t:

Instant Depression:

In the beginning, all our characters were pretty crappy. I appreciate flawed characters, but so many of characters didn’t even have redeeming qualities.

My emotions at the start of this drama

The situations, paired with these awful people, left me feeling pretty darn grim. While the concept is not exactly bad, I detached myself pretty fast. It’s understandable that drama requires conflict, but when everybody sucks and does sucky things, it just plain sucks. And that’s not why I tune in to K-Drama.

Over-Sexualisation:

While it’s a nice change from the overly-innocent, naive female characters we get in most dramas, it was overplayed. Do these women do nothing more than sleep around or cry about not sleeping around? Really. I appreciate that our characters were supposed to be modern, free women who don’t adhere to society’s rules on women’s sexuality. However, it felt counter-productive that these women defined themselves based on their own sexuality, when they are criticising the rest of the world for doing just that. Kang Hyun Joo is ‘naïve’ because she’s a virgin, Park Seo Yeon is ‘strong’ and ‘independent’ because she’s had multiple sexual partners, and Sun Woo In Young sits somewhere in the ‘healthy’ middle. The whole time I was watching, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that the drama was trying way too hard to be ‘American’.

Because nothing says 'independent' quite like sex

Re-watch?

No. After finishing the drama I can appreciate it for what it is, and I totally understand why so many people love it. Focusing on the friendship between the girls is a definite bonus- but it just isn’t the drama for me.

It does have its own kind of magic though