The Hong Sisters Marathon (Reupload)

What really got me into writing on this blog was my Hong Sisters Marathon back in 2016. When I look back on those reviews now, I cringe. Firstly because my writing style has improved in leaps and bounds since then, but also because I've become more critical and perceptive. Rather than just characters and story, I write about all sorts of things now. Because of that, I've decided to take down my old reviews and summarise them here, with my updated opinion of each of these dramas now. If reading this makes you desperate to go and read the original reviews, I'll keep them up another week, no matter how basic or disingenuous they are.

Delightful Girl Choon-hyang: It shows that this is a drama written by two rookies; plot points are abandoned, pacing is sloppy. But still, I can understand why Delightful Girl Choon-hyang scored 30% in ratings. When it's supposed to be funny, it's absolutely hilarious (mostly due to Jae Hee's wonderfully expressive face that makes me miss the days when he did comedy), and when it's supposed to be angsty, it definitely does that well. I can't find I found the romantic dynamic particularly appealing (marriage contracts and bickering couples are pretty standard fare nowadays), but I would recommend this little drama to people solely due to the very talented actors on board.

My Girl: I can tell that the Hong Sisters were still riding on the success of their first drama hen they wrote this - most of the production team is the same, so it looks similar, sounds similar, feels similar. But it terms of pacing, this is a huge improvement. My Girl doesn't slow down for anyone, and it makes for a fun and engaging watch. I honestly was not a fan of the characters (they seemed to be lacking some charm), especially Lee Da-hae's take on the heroine which came off thoroughly annoying. But again, this drama does comedy and melodrama very well, and I liked the way the romance progressed quite a lot. Not to mention, it has a killer soundtrack. I recommend!

You're Beautiful: This was my second drama, so I'm always going to be more biased here, but I love this crackpot of a drama! A lot of it reads shallow when I look back (I was never particularly interested in the love-pentagon) but the premise is bizarre and the character dynamics really fun. This is probably my favourite of Jang Geun-suk's roles, and it still sends me into giggles. No, I can't say the B-plot is particularly entertaining, and it's a little frustrating to watch the development of the romance now with a understanding of toxic masculinity and gender roles, but I will always recommend You're Beautiful for the way it made me feel six years ago.

My Girlfriend is a Gumiho: This is probably where the Hong Sisters perfected their formula - it's the best amalgamation of their recently visited themes. The fantasy romance felt breathtaking to me upon first watch. In hindsight, it's a little disturbing that Shin Min-ah's (adorable) heroine has a child-like mentality, but we'll ignore that. The chemistry between her and Lee Seung-gi is fantastic, and they really sell their connection. There are the usual snotty second-leads and disapproving parents, but My Girlfriend is a Gumiho gets some serious points for just being a consistent high-stakes drama with a great emotional pay-off. Highly recommended.

The Greatest Love: So a lot of people in the community have called this the greatest Hong Sisters drama. I don't think we were watching the same show. Sure, it's funny sometimes, and the veteran actors sold the emotions of it to me very well. But I hate Cha Seung-won's comedic acting, it comes across ridiculous and infuriating to me. He's the epitome of the obnoxious Hong Sisters hero without any of the boyish charm. I also think he and Gong Hyo-jin had no chemistry; he mentioned once in an interview that the two of them have very different acting styles, so perhaps that's why I couldn't make sense of the two of them as a couple. I can't recommend this. I'm sorry, Gong Hyo-jin! I'm sorry!

Master's Sun: There's really not much to say about this one. I liked it a lot when I first watched it, to the extent that it would have been one of the highest on this list.The leads are eccentric, the idea of a "horror comedy"drama rare at the time, and to an extent Master's Sun even touches on some important social issues (say, child abuse). But looking back, the Ghostbusters-style episodic format would have been a lot more engaging if it were written tighter with more compelling cases. I've lost some faith in the story, but I would recommend this just to watch the romance blossom between Gong Hyo-jin and So Ji-sub. It's pretty cute!

Warm and Cozy: You know, I watched this whole drama, and I barely remember any of it. But that's a testament to what Warm and Cozy is; it had everything in it's favour, like a great cast and gorgeous Jeju Island backdrops, but it was such a giant nothing. I'm really curious as to how they managed to write sixteen episodes with absolutely nothing substantial in them - I couldn't like the romance, either, because I hated the characters and didn't want them together. I feel like my biggest grievance here is probably that this was my only chance to see Kim Sung-oh as a second-lead, and he was so wasted! I love that man, he deserves so much better.

Hwayugi: What an atrocity Hwayugi was, especially since there were so many good themes and characters there from the start. The star-studded cast was mostly wasted; although Lee Seung-gi got his chance to shine, Oh Yeon-seo was given the most offensively bland heroine I've ever seen (and that woman can pull off a strong female character, I've seen it). How you can manage to write an independent business-minded ghostbusting woman wrong appals me. Not to mention, Lee Se-young's endearing zombie character got the most inexplicably horrible treatment. I'm still bitter. I feel like the Hong Sisters were trying to take a few steps back to their last hit, Master's Sun, and frankly are still trying to capture what made their older shows so popular. After all, their next project Hotel del Luna, which should be coming out this year, is also about ghosts. Yay.

So, here are some conclusions. The Hong Sisters are not great writers, but they have an extensive understanding of pop culture and used that create some addictive hit dramas in the past. However, upon reflection, most of said dramas held up best if the cast were good together and really embodied their characters. But in recent years, their quality has declined, so they seem to be desperately retreating back into familiar territory. Well, I've had enough of the Hong Sisters and their tired formula - they've lost the magic, as far as I can tell, so I won't be sitting through their next project if I can help it.