[Drama 2017] My Sassy Girl 엽기적인 그녀

[briseis]

You know it’s love when your ideal sageuk male lead is dark, dysfunctional and tormented antihero with a richard simmons-up family and wild mane of glory flowing in the wind and here you are gushing over a sane, courteous scholar with his hair tied up in a topknot and a loving family that dotes on him. It’s a complete sageuk role reversal because it’s the heroine who is the proverbial jerk with issues and richard simmons-up family in tow. 

It’s the brilliant combination of writing, directing and acting which makes GW into this awesome and fascinating character who doesn’t bore you for a single second and Joo Won has really outdone himsefl once again because I’ve seen all his dramas and watching him in MSG is like watching him for the first time he doesn’t remind me of any of his previous role, actually his character doesn’t remind me of any kdrama male lead period. Gyun Woo is singular and epic. I love how he isn’t rude or mean he simply tells the truth how it is and he knows where to strike so it would hurt the most - for instance this scene, he needed only 2 sentences to put that bully in his place. Plus this is another apt social commentary on nepotism.

One thing I particularly like about GW is that while he is clearly an idealist he has no illusions about the world and knows how it works. In sageukland where a hero must be either hardcore, almost utopian-like, idealist  or an utter cynic, it’s rare to meet a male lead like GW who is written with this realistic combination of idealism and pragmatism.

[briseis]

I SHIP THEM!!! THE WAY GYUN WOO SMILES AT HIS LITTLE MASTER DOGGY/SOYBEAN!

It’s awesome how proudly and lovingly GW carries that little bundle of hair around, giving no damn what people would think about him. This is pretty much the least macho dog a man could ever have; the way he treats this little cutie reveals what sort of a man GW is.

That’s the most adorable dog that as ever adorabled in kdramaland! Seriously, I have like 120 screencaps of the dog alone!

When someone dares to diss my dog. Basically.

Like seriously, Gyun Woo is such an epic cinnamonroll! I can’t resist a man who is so protective of a little dog and that loving, supportive smile he gives Master Doggy basically translates to - “don’t mind her, you are the prettiest here”.

It’s awesome how GW named the dog “Master Doggy” or “Dog Teacher” to be literal when basically the word  “dog” when used as a prefix in Korean always means an insult while the word “master/teacher” is used to address someone of huge wisdom and importance who deserves immense deal of respect. I mean there are so many reasons to fall in love with GW but this fact alone would be enough for me.

Spoiler

I LOVE THIS SHOW!!!! IT’S ALL KINDS OF AWESOME!

When the Chinese government doesn’t allow you to export Korean entertainment and actors to China you do it in an actual drama and show that the chinese were addicted to Korean culture for centuries. GYUN WOO HAS TO RUN FOR HIS LIFE FROM HIS CHINESE FANGIRLS! It’s a hyperbole but apt one.

There is so much epic meta and social commentary and references - the addiction of the Chinese to the k-entertainment, fan merchandising and the need to own the limited editions obsession,… HE EVEN BRINGS A SAMPLE HOME! LOL! If you’ve got it, flaunt it!

Spoiler

 

[flutterby06]

Gyun Woo from this drama is so refreshing character.. can't help but be in love with him. I already love Joo Won way too much. This Gyun Woo is deepening it more!!

 

This is so perfect match.. 

 

[lavender2love]

I'm bacccccccckkkkkk .........hrrrmmppphhhh .... !! Yay.... so excited over My Sassy Girl.

Joo Won triggered my comeback from 2 and half months of exile , read , restricted / barred / banned by a newly minted junior mod who deemed a barring is good for my soul as she said I broke a rule by quoting images in a spoiler on March 16 in Introverted Boss  ( is there ever such a rule ? Really ? images in spoilers are no go???? I  see posters do that all the time in most threads.... and they were not caught...... ) So well this explains my absence during which time I read up politics with so much time freed up .... haha ... more drama and gripping situations in the real time world than lalaland. So much so I completely gave up Korean dramas until now..... !!!

Is it not drama-worthy-gushy to say that I joined Soompi in October 25 2015 because of Kim Tae Hee and Joo Won in Yong Pal ( I love that drama to bits ) So soul soothing to say I'm back reunited with handsome Joo Won as the delectable GW and to watch OYS strut her stuff.

I'm absolutely over the moon ( pun intended ) to find delightful write-ups by the sterling @briseis...... that characterisation of Gyun Woo / Joo Won is masterful. Haha.... so cute your expression of cinnamonrol for GW..... and Master Doggy / soybean....... LOL !! LOL !! Show... oh do show your collection of this adorable dog .. bow wow ? please ? Your writing is so insightful , letting me see with fresh perspective how unique GW is. This line had me rolling in mirth "  It’s a complete sageuk role reversal because it’s the heroine who is the proverbial jerk with issues and richard simmons-up family in tow. " Would be looking forward to your contributions. Your expert knowledge of costumes, culture is formidable. Respect !!

Ohhhh..... the extremely skilful gif maker @jeonghyang is the house too. Always love your work ..... thank you.

@LyraYoo .... ahhh when i wrote 3 letters of protest I mentioned you together with another 2 as the best moderators....

@mrdimples.... yea where are you ? Your profile name is the awesome dimpled Joo Won is it not ? Please don't tell me you lost your mojo ? Noooooooo.....!! Do I have to dig you up from the bottom of the moat, the slippery moat, the moaty filth... the seductive moat ?

@sagaseed..... I will always remember you.

@andy78 ..... wheeeeeee ...... so good to see you old friend.

Hello @glee77 and @delta777..... thanks for being the early birds... appreciated your contributions.

Hi @ecs707a...... we've met before.

Hello to others too in this thread. Hope we have a pleasat time here

@flutterby06 ... thanks for this heart fluttering pix..... awwww so handsome.

Hello to all here in this thread. Hope to know more about you and that we have a pleasant time.

Looking forward to MSG. Going off to other threads to apologise for my sudden non communication.... left them so mid sentence.

 

 

[lavender2love]

@flutterby06.... this drooling pix didn't show up in earlier post.( I lost touch with pasting )  Here it is.

[flutterby06]

@lavender2love, you are welcome..Nice meeting you too..It's good to see more JW lovers are coming to support JW in MSG thread..I'm JW fan since 2013-14. But I was so sad to see him go to Military that I can not help but join soompi to gush about him and his last project. Though I'm new in soompi forums, I was actually feeling down not seeing much response.

I so love him in this bluish costume.. the scene in the drama is the cutest. 

These are for you..

 

[lavender2love]

Wow ..... @flutterby06..... thanks for the cuteeeee pictures of this handsome boy and I read  some negative remarks.  Joo Won's acting draws you in..... he has that charisma. His eyes were mesmerizing in Yong Pal and they burn into you not letting you forget his screen presence. He is a rating puller for many dramas. That is enough for me. Someone said he is not an A-lister. So what ..... JW is talented. Strange I didn't watch A-lister SJK in DOTS  or Gong Yoo and I don't feel I miss anything. I like PBG in Moonlight and LJK in Moon Lover but that's it. I actually like Teacher Kim very much...( in Romantic Doctor ) It has good ratings but it was a very quiet thread. So was Chief Kim. In the end I think the important thing is not to feel down..... for every slow moving thread there are super appreciative fans. Especially those who are insightful writers. These talented actors provide much entertainment too.  

So just enjoy his last drama before his NS. Perish the negativism. Who knows his agent may scoop up a perfect post drama for him that sends the charts rocketing. Errmmmm .... Kim Eun Sook .. are you looking over here? Hot actor for that sizzling drama. It's easy to write a story around him because he's the package.

[briseis]

I’M GOING DOWN WITH THIS SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP!!!!!!

Their first meeting is freaking dreamy and romantic and THE SHEER CHEMISTRY, HE JUMPS TO HER RESCUE AND THEN HYEMYUNG BURPS STRAIGHT INTO GYUN WOO’S FACE! And the reason why she almost fell over the bridge is because she is tipsy!

(In a way it almost feels like MSG is subtly making fun of the traditional sageuk romantic tropes.)

Spoiler

But he obviously isn’t so stuck-up nor prickly not to appreciate her spunk and sass because it must be rare for him not meeting a woman who isn’t swooning over him, and he smirk appreciatory while watching her leave. I’m already loving their dynamic.

This show is seriously gorgeous to look at and the colors are so vibrant, such a welcomed change after all the washed-out cinematography in sageuk dramas these past 2 years.

Spoiler

OMG! GW once again comes to HM’s rescue and this time she vomits all over him and then falls straight into his arms! THIS DRAMA IS THE AWESOMEST THING THAT HAS EVER AWESOMED!

For the first time in the history of dramaland and maybe even global cinematography the stop-motion technique was used to capture vomit! ANd GYUN WOO’S SCARED FACE is the best thing ever!

The whole moment, basically all the events which take place between GW and HM during the night is a top-notch comedy but there is a catch because the fun isn’t superficial and under all the hilarity there always lies something much deeper and poignant. And this moment is perfect at showing it because from the moment they meet on the bridge GW and HM are in the exact same situation - DRUNK AFTER A NIGHT OUT - the difference between them is that he is allowed to drink, it’s even expected of him, and unlike HM he is only tipsy mostly because he has the practice; HM DOESN’T HAVE THAT - she doesn’t know how to drink nor how to not end up completely wasted, SHE ISN’T ALLOWED TO DRINK, SHE ISN’T EVEN ALLOWED TO LEAVE HER OWN HOUSE AT NIGHT and she had to secretly jump over the palace wall.

“Is it alright for a grown woman to go around drunk hitting people?”

The whole scene is a direct hit at the mysogyny and unfairness women had to face during the Joseon Dynasty and even today. When HM stands up for the old man no one takes her seriously - no matter if she uses her words or fists to argue her case - she is in the right but no one cares because she is a woman. But the moment GW steps in everyone pays attention and the bully becomes afraid. I really love this sort of moments because their point isn’t to show GW rescueing HM because she couldn’t stand up for herself but to show that it’s much more difficult to stand up for yourself when you are “just a woman” and in the Joseon Era it equals to being a thing, a possession of your father or husband.

[flutterby06]

So according to this Insta post Lee Jung Shin has showed up in a university in his Joseon costum.. cool idea Officer Kang.. 

 

[lavender2love]

Another awesome write-up from the impressive @briseis...... You are digging up gems in the way you view MSG..... so noteworthy. The feminism point of view is great .... it just didn't exist in the Joseon Era. It's a man's world yet MSG brings out GW as being a metrosexual modern man and a romantic ( not the sexual romantic for now but in a philosophical sense )..... he couldn't leave a female unprotected ( to his detriment ... sassy girl fired that one upmanship  and that caused recoils in those who hate her unconventional ways. The burps completely flatten the distractors..... haha.

Thank you Briseis..... you are daebak. !!!!

Can someone post the tree in the the show ? ( this one is from the old drama ) Right from the start I had already fancied the producer's beautiful cinematography in MSG as he did for Windy Hill. The pair resting under the tree set in midnight blue is striking.

 

 

 

 

[ate]

hello chingus, 

I can't wait to watch ep 5 and 6. Looking forward to the development of their romance in the upcoming episodes. I think the princess wouldn't sneak out as often as she can now that GW is her younger brother's teacher but she has to find the jade ring and continue the search outside the palace. She would tag GW along with her because he was the last person who found it, I've seen the movie Sassy Girl and I loved it but I hope there's more heart fluttering moments in the drama and less bullying scenes from the female lead to the male lead like what happened in the movie. I know that being sassy or adventurous was the character of the female lead that made him fell in love with the female lead in the movie but I'm not comfortable seeing men being bullied or boss around by women. To some extent but not all the time.  

On the other hand, in the movie, the female lead appreciated the male lead's being cool and game to do the things the female lead wants them or him to do because though he finds her weird but those things they did became his unforgotten memories. He wouldn't experience them without her. She's one of a kind to say the least. 

Glad they made a remake with a 360 degrees twist. After watching the 4 eps, all I see was a brand new story.          

 

[lavender2love]

16 hours ago, glee77 said:

I have always said, either on forums or to my mom ( cause she watches kdramas with me) that Joo Won might not be anybody's idea for a fangirl magnet (and yes I used the A-lister thing cause that was the first thing that was in my mind that moment) , however once he starts moving he becomes a camera magnet.

I could not find pretty pics of him on the internet from Gaksital, but I could find a whole lot of amazing gifs. I watched Yong Pal for him and only him, and even justified it to some people on a forum who were trashing it.

 

LOL .... !! Tell me about it . I did too ..... writing rebuttals and countering their flawed arguments for Yong Pal. Even external sites and blogs were not spared. Left them spluttering. People can have differing opinions but should not be mean and toxic. So for MSG.... we'll see how.

 

16 hours ago, glee77 said:

As soon as Sassy Girl was announced, I prayed for a stop to controversies, cause it was his last drama before MS.

 

You know , antis and  haters will stir up controversies, even in popular ones. As sure as the sun rises. I deal with them by delivering verbal knockout punches or ignoring the ignoramus. Peace of mind instantly follows. Glad you have a prayer weapon.

16 hours ago, glee77 said:

It was so maddening back in October to watch his instagram pics and noticing how much weight he had lost, and how (again) the director had overworked him

And then my obsession took me to check out OYS, and I saw how she was amazing in Come Back Ahjussi. Then I made the mistake of checking netizenbuzz, and there were all those negative comments about her and something about Lee Joon years ago and their hate that she had PS and still dared to reply "I know" to the ones calling her pretty on instagram

 

Netizenbuzz is like furnace or a cesspool for antis and haters. The trolls are vicious and toxic. Just don't go there. OYS rocked in CBA. She killed that role. Soon she'll turn on her charm in MSG .

 

16 hours ago, glee77 said:

I see that the comments for both characters in this drama have gone a little bad (I checked dramabeans), however I know as a fact that saeguks always find a way to become serious. Probably that's why I have watched only MDBC and MoTW before taking the triple Saeguk crown and watching this too.

PS. One of the titles they wanted to name this drama was "Joseon's Sassy Love Story". I soo wish that they'd gone with that. It was pretty catchy

 

Like your alternative title Joseon's Sassy Love Story. MSG invites comparison and thus flamers.

Cheers.

[Guest AlexMao]

12 hours ago, lavender2love said:

Can someone post the tree in the the show ? ( this one is from the old drama ) Right from the start I had already fancied the producer's beautiful cinematography in MSG as he did for Windy Hill. The pair resting under the tree set in midnight blue is striking.

 

Were you referring to this tree? It doesn't appear to be the same tree from the movie. To cover myself here there appears to be a site dedicated to the movie (oddly enough an "official" tourism site hosted on visitkorea.or.kr here)

 

Bonus picture 

[lavender2love]

OH @AlexMao........ you're great. Yeeeesssss ..... that's the one. A beautiful midnight blue. It doesn't seem like so romantic now that they are in a bickering stage but it's symbolic of them being enveloped by the majestic deep blue sky and soon their love will take root and blossom into fruitfulness. The branches of the tree are like their love protecting them.

You come as a bear woodcutter lol !!!

Thank you ...... I love both pictures.

[briseis]

That tree is Joo Won’s destiny. If it appears in another 2 or 3 of his future dramas they might name it after him one day.

[haymochi]

Hi, i'm obviously a big fan of  Oh Yeon Seo so no matter what i'm gonna support this drama.

i never expected such negative reactions from knetz because i find the first 2 eps fast paced, up beat, funny, has beautiful settinga, and i totally fall in love with the otp already. Come on.. a crazy princess+smart stiff scholar... i'm totally on board...

i just hope the rating won't go down anymore. I don't want Joowon last drama before enlistment become a failure and my girl Oh Yeon Seo has received enough hates..

[ate]

Can't tell if this video has been posted in the previous page but I'd like to share it with you guys. This video sums up the story. After watching it, my excitement escalates because there are lots of interesting scenes in the upcoming episodes. Don't miss to watch it and hope to catch up though busy with work and family matters. 

 cr: owner, youtube

[flutterby06]

Someone: Park Shi Onnn...

Looks like they both responded.. 

Two Park Shi On(from Good Doctor)  in one frame.

[lavender2love]

11 hours ago, briseis said:

That tree is Joo Won’s destiny. If it appears in another 2 or 3 of his future dramas they might name it after him one day.

 

 

Thanks for that insightful and witty comment. @briseis As always ... so good.

His destiny is beyond his control and rooted in a union with a royal unconventional eccentric future wife. How cool. Likeeeeee... !! Love the tree ... I hereby knight the future name Wonie Cutie Tree of Destiny.

 

[gerrytan8063]

@lavender2love @AlexMao

In the movie Sassy Girl, it is a pine tree, while the tree feature in the drama is not a pine tree. It is the Zelkova tree locate in Seongheunsan (성흥산), Imcheon myeon (임천면), Buyeo, Chungcheongnam-do province near Dae Jo Sa temple ( 대조사,大鳥寺)

Ending scene from KBS drama Sejong the Great