[Weekend Drama 2016] Laurel Tree Tailors 월계수양복점신사들 ~ Starring Cha In Pyo, Ra Mi Ran ~

[nubianlegalmind]

So I cannot tell you how I ended up watching this drama, but due to the holiday here in the States, I marathon'd the first four episodes this weekend. Let me just say, the eye candy in this drama...OMG!

Pretty much all of the main male characters in the program are very attractive.The story arcs are also very well written. You get sucked into the story right away, not to mention the suits. There is just something HOT about a man in a well-tailored suit, and I love that the story revolves around the art of tailoring. The couple that operate the chicken restaurant, the wife is nuts. Now I can understand being exasperated with a failed business/idea. But, to give your spouse an ultimatum to the extent of divorce is too much. She is forcing him to do what she wants, which is just wrong.

That poor young guy who has the girlfriend who has basically friend-zoned him. He even saw her out with the president who stole that position from Lee Dong Gun. Yet, he still wanted to try and make money to buy an expensive watch for a woman that pretty much told him to go away and leave her alone. The character that Lee Dong Gun plays, I can already tell he will have some serious character development. Clearly, he is in a loveless marriage. He is working hard for a company that is determined to push him out of the way due to family politics. His wife has no heart, and I was really disheartened by the way she spoke to his father. Speaking of the dad, how lovely is he and his wife. It is so nice to see an older couple who still hug and kiss and show affection for each other.  

Finally, my baby Choi Won Young is in this drama. There is just something about him that does it for me. He is such a great actor and he plays the over-the-hill rocker to absolute perfection. He manages to be narcissistic, funny and endearing all at the same time. The wedding scene was LOL hilarious, and appropriate, because he basically sang what was about to happen. I would've been the sister because yes, he is also quite good looking.

All in all, i am looking forward to watching the rest of this drama. What a pleasant surprise. Great cast and plenty of eye candy!

[Yen9]

Just finished episode 3. Looking forward to episode 4! This English subbed interview with the main 4 actors was cute to watch. Congrats to the cast on amazing ratings.

 

 

[irilight]

11 hours ago, yen9 said:

This English subbed interview with the main 4 actors was cute to watch. Congrats to the cast on amazing ratings.

Thank you for this wonderful video, @yen9! Loved it.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

Laurel Tree Tailors – First Impression

 

I think it’s not difficult to understand why Show is a ratings winner among the weekend dramas. It’s not in-your-face makjang like Our Gab-soon or Blow Breeze, but it felt more like What’s with My Family – introspective about family and life. Admittedly, the first episode was more like an introduction to the characters but not so much on the plot, but the story definitely begins proper with the patriach Lee Man Sool (Shin Gu) leaving home without a word (ok he left a letter).

 

Read more on The Cat that Watches TV


 

[Guest]

I agree that this Drama is pleasantly low key - though nowhere as much s so as the truly exceptional and sadly unwatched Yeah That's How It Is. But the remarkable thing so far for me has been its humour. For that, we must thank Ra Mi Ran and Choi Won Yeong. Their characters are well written, and their delivery has been perfect, generating a lot of real humour to help keep the Drama light.  Also, as one of the few men watching, I'm very happy that the former Miss Korea Oh Hyeon Kyeong is getting to look pretty a lot, reminding us why she won  

[Guest my2centsworth]

Okay.....I am officially hooked on this drama !  Have watch all the past esp and looking forward to the upcoming ones. Great cast......some old faces that I have seen in other dramas and some new faces too. Looking forward to seeing these new faces in action.  Just to let you know @Lmangla glad this one is not full of mushy romance. Ever since I watched Beautiful Mind , I have been waiting for a really great drama. Looks like this one may be it !  I do see romance, but each couple have a different type of romance, which is part of the appeal to this drama. Things seem to be almost to the point to put these 4 great looking men into the tailoring business.

Going back and read all the comments now. I want to thank @tikamacikafor starting this thread. Now we all have to work together and make is "stock piled full" of comments. Also, glance over the last 4 pages and want to say thanks for all the great pics. 

So tonight is another esp? Ready here, but not sure if I will watch live stream....depends on the time. Have to check that out. Anyway.......glad to be here and ready for this great drama to get better.

[Lmangla]

On 9/7/2016 at 0:05 AM, nubianlegalmind said:

The couple that operate the chicken restaurant, the wife is nuts. Now I can understand being exasperated with a failed business/idea. But, to give your spouse an ultimatum to the extent of divorce is too much. She is forcing him to do what she wants, which is just wrong

finally got around to watching ep 3 & 4 and was laughing. the chicken wife cracks me up and her chemistry with mr. guitar is just funny. in a romantic comedy, they would be the fighting to fall in love couple but instead, we have just two people who will probably end up becoming really good friends/siblings who will also fight like crazy. what I like about the chicken lady is that her hubby loves her. he feels exasperated at times with her and she drives him nuts but he sees her as a whole -- the good, bad and ugly -- and to him, she is a rough gem. she is strong and capable of being independent and living on her own -- that is his assessment of her. at the same time, he recognizes that she is so thrifty and hardworking partially out of love for him -- she wears his worn out underwear and it doesn't matter to her. she does not see his lack of material contribution as a negative or that he is a bad husband who failed as a man. instead, she appreciates him just as he is.

so why get so emotional about the tailor shop? think it boils down to her understanding and not understanding. she is super sensitive about the fact that she is not educated. she recognizes herself that she is not necessarily dignified in terms of etiquette or polish. the suits and tailor shop sort of reminds her of her lack of worth. she is not the kind of person who would wear nice clothes and hang out in a suit. so him belonging in that world (even though he is only a high school graduate himself) sort of cuts him off from her. makes a gap that she feels that she cannot bridge. at the same time, we know that he has tried twice to open a tailor shop and failed. so not once but twice, she allowed him to try and stood behind him to follow his dreams even though she may not understand the artistic drive or vision. so for her, it is frustrating to try and again go for something so artistic that has no practical value. whereas chicken shop may not be glamorous or crafty but you get a rice bowl -- thats her thinking. and him running again to try at the tailor shop negates that practicality -- something she is good at is being seen as not needed by him. so it eats at her in many ways.. as a practical oriented person, there is no way for her to understand that he sees tailoring as a craft and he needs that creative outlet. since she cannot understand it, there is that conflict. in essense, it is not about him tailoring or a rice bowl but a little bit more -- sort of like their relationship is being tested. is she good enough for him types kind of question raises for her?..... 

but at the end of the day, this is the woman he loves. yea, she is uncouth and fights with folks at the drop of a hat but he loves her with a fond exasperation. so these two are good solid marriage. unlike dong jin who married his wife to advance at meesa apparels or yeon shil who married the gangster out of pity, lack of choice and gratefulness, sam do loves his wife and chose her because he loves her and he is loved in return.... what do folks think? do you like the chicken wife? or do you find her too over the top and loud?

[Lmangla]

On 9/7/2016 at 0:05 AM, nubianlegalmind said:

That poor young guy who has the girlfriend who has basically friend-zoned him. He even saw her out with the president who stole that position from Lee Dong Gun. Yet, he still wanted to try and make money to buy an expensive watch for a woman that pretty much told him to go away and leave her alone.

when I first saw him approaching the office, I was like "what is this guy thinking?"... but then when I saw the scene of him talking to yeon shil saying "there is a watch that I apparently can't buy even if I save for 10 years. don't you think that a world like that is unfair" (or something like that) -- that scene got me. this isn't a typical guy who can't get over his first love kind of nonsense. no, it is bit more than that. if they had broken up normally where she told him that they have grown apart or that she has met someone else etc, he would have probably moved on. in a way, he already has but he is sort of testing the waters to see what is the reason she is throwing him away and to find out that the reason is financial is a punch to the gut. he has been struggling for years to find a job and is struggling with feeling like a failure. and here she is confirming with her actions that he is. so him trying to buy a watch is not necessarily to buy her love but more to prove to himself that he is still someone of worth. someone who can make money. someone who has what it takes to succeed... then he can reject her after that and it would be more fitting for him...

a scene I found interesting with the motorbike kid is his interview. so he tells the story behind meesa apparel where the founder had a vision to provide suits -- suits that would give dignity to the wearer and allow them to compete in the market -- and that is why he wants to work there. it is interesting because the company no longer has that and that kind of vision thinking is still there at the tailor shop. the question is does such a vision still have relevance in the modern world? how do people value such kind of thinking? isn't it all about the money?

also after he threw up and came out of the bathroom, dong jin's sister-in-law had a little tiff with him. will she be his loveline? but what was interesting that she thought he was rich kid based on his suit. whereas, dong jin's wife thought of the tailor shops' suits as low grade because it wasn't branded or foreign. so the sister-in-law has a good eye and can recognize quality but dong jin's wife blindly assesses...

[Lmangla]

7 hours ago, my2centsworth said:

I do see romance, but each couple have a different type of romance, which is part of the appeal to this drama.

so what are the different types of romances that you see @my2centsworth?

16 hours ago, stuartjmz said:

I'm very happy that the former Miss Korea Oh Hyeon Kyeong is getting to look pretty a lot, reminding us why she won

so had to look it up to see who you were referring to... and she is the person who plays the sister/comic book owner... her life itself can be the basis for any 50 eps drama! and so it is interesting (from a real to reel perspective) to see her inject this kind of positive/happy/la-la vibe into this comic book owner character (twice divorced with young adult daughter) instead of a downer kind of defeated vibe...

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2006/07/21/2006072161014.html

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2006/09/01/2006090161022.html

[jayakris]

2 hours ago, Lmangla said:

her life itself can be the basis for any 50 eps drama! and so it is interesting (from a real to reel perspective) to see her inject this kind of positive/happy/la-la vibe into this comic book owner character (twice divorced with young adult daughter) instead of a downer kind of defeated vibe...

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2006/07/21/2006072161014.html

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2006/09/01/2006090161022.html

She actually played the role of a former Miss Korea in her previous drama, Beautiful Gong Shim, too.

Yes, we have to root for her.  Some of these drama story lines that we take issue with, actually happen in Korea.  Maybe more so than in other societies?  At least that's the feeling I get.  Maybe I am wrong.

[nubianlegalmind]

4 hours ago, Lmangla said:

finally got around to watching ep 3 & 4 and was laughing. the chicken wife cracks me up and her chemistry with mr. guitar is just funny. in a romantic comedy, they would be the fighting to fall in love couple but instead, we have just two people who will probably end up becoming really good friends/siblings who will also fight like crazy. what I like about the chicken lady is that her hubby loves her. he feels exasperated at times with her and she drives him nuts but he sees her as a whole -- the good, bad and ugly -- and to him, she is a rough gem. she is strong and capable of being independent and living on her own -- that is his assessment of her. at the same time, he recognizes that she is so thrifty and hardworking partially out of love for him -- she wears his worn out underwear and it doesn't matter to her. she does not see his lack of material contribution as a negative or that he is a bad husband who failed as a man. instead, she appreciates him just as he is.

so why get so emotional about the tailor shop? think it boils down to her understanding and not understanding. she is super sensitive about the fact that she is not educated. she recognizes herself that she is not necessarily dignified in terms of etiquette or polish. the suits and tailor shop sort of reminds her of her lack of worth. she is not the kind of person who would wear nice clothes and hang out in a suit. so him belonging in that world (even though he is only a high school graduate himself) sort of cuts him off from her. makes a gap that she feels that she cannot bridge. at the same time, we know that he has tried twice to open a tailor shop and failed. so not once but twice, she allowed him to try and stood behind him to follow his dreams even though she may not understand the artistic drive or vision. so for her, it is frustrating to try and again go for something so artistic that has no practical value. whereas chicken shop may not be glamorous or crafty but you get a rice bowl -- thats her thinking. and him running again to try at the tailor shop negates that practicality -- something she is good at is being seen as not needed by him. so it eats at her in many ways.. as a practical oriented person, there is no way for her to understand that he sees tailoring as a craft and he needs that creative outlet. since she cannot understand it, there is that conflict. in essense, it is not about him tailoring or a rice bowl but a little bit more -- sort of like their relationship is being tested. is she good enough for him types kind of question raises for her?..... 

but at the end of the day, this is the woman he loves. yea, she is uncouth and fights with folks at the drop of a hat but he loves her with a fond exasperation. so these two are good solid marriage. unlike dong jin who married his wife to advance at meesa apparels or yeon shil who married the gangster out of pity, lack of choice and gratefulness, sam do loves his wife and chose her because he loves her and he is loved in return.... what do folks think? do you like the chicken wife? or do you find her too over the top and loud?

You raised a lot of great points that I had not thought about in regards to the chicken wife. I want to like her, but I guess I am not a fan of people who hold their loved ones back due to their own insecurities. I do think this couple loves each other very much, they just have very different approaches to showing that love. I got the feeling that the reason why the husband failed in the past at trying to have his own tailor shop was because he did it on his own. Going to the Laurel Tailor shop is different because it is already established and he can come right in and run it. While he loves his wife, I do think he wished she put in a little effort as a woman, which is why he bought her the lingerie. She needs to meet him halfway, the same way he tried to meet her half way working at the chicken place.

Showing up at the family house and causing a scene the way that she did was funny, but embarrassing. When the husband of the chicken wife put that suit on to head there, I felt like that fit him more. He looked comfortable and at peace. They both probably need to realize and accept what makes the other person happy and just respect that. I will look at her with a more open mind now that you have humanized some of her actions.  

As far as the motorbike guy, I agree with you. He is perplexed as to why the financial gap is so big and that it would take so long to even save enough money to buy his girlfriend such a watch. However, when they flashbacked on their relationship, it looked like he started working so much to help put his girlfriend through school. Because when he went on the interview, the president asked him why he didn't start looking for a job after school? Why did he wait? I thought it was because he was working for her. I could've misunderstood that. Yeah, I think he will end up at the tailor shop with the chicken husband and Dong Gun. Who knows, maybe they will prove to be competition for Meesa Apparel! 

Thanks for your incredible insight. Let's continue to enjoy the drama and share thoughts and opinions. 

[Lmangla]

2 hours ago, nubianlegalmind said:

You raised a lot of great points that I had not thought about in regards to the chicken wife. I want to like her, but I guess I am not a fan of people who hold their loved ones back due to their own insecurities. I do think this couple loves each other very much, they just have very different approaches to showing that love. I got the feeling that the reason why the husband failed in the past at trying to have his own tailor shop was because he did it on his own. Going to the Laurel Tailor shop is different because it is already established and he can come right in and run it. While he loves his wife, I do think he wished she put in a little effort as a woman, which is why he bought her the lingerie. She needs to meet him halfway, the same way he tried to meet her half way working at the chicken place.

Showing up at the family house and causing a scene the way that she did was funny, but embarrassing. When the husband of the chicken wife put that suit on to head there, I felt like that fit him more. He looked comfortable and at peace. They both probably need to realize and accept what makes the other person happy and just respect that. I will look at her with a more open mind now that you have humanized some of her actions.  

normally I wouldn't like such a character because she is actually bit too over the top for me. in fact, my first impression was "nagging hag?"  but then I noticed chicken guy loves her with a fond exasperation. yea she embarrasses him but he is not ashamed of her and is happy. not gritting his teeth and resigned with his life happy but genuinely happy with this woman. his only unhappiness is the fact that he fries chicken and not cutting up material to make suits. so when I saw her through his eyes, I could see the humour and the fond smile that the writer probably had in mind while drawing this character.

but yea, I want her to get over her insecurities. like you said, he looked so cool in a suit; he looked like he belonged in his own skin. I would love if they get to the point where they end up working together -- he does the artistic side of making suits while she handles the business end because she would be superb at it. we know that she has the smarts because her name was being dropped as a potential for market chief (or whatever chicken guy called it the association of store owners). even the persistence of mr. guitar could not defeat her wall of resistance!!! hahahah. and he really doesn't have that kind of business smarts like her... she is the type of person who would easily handle irate customers, distribution, manage the books and all sorts of icky parts of business like haggling for raw materials with ease. that is part of her practical nature and she would love it. so they would be a powerful working couple and she certainly has a place beside him professionally as well if she meets him halfway like you said... so it will be interesting to see if that happens. part of me wonders if her paranoia (like he calls it) is because they don't have kids. like she doesn't have a kind of permanent blood tie to him...

while it would be great if she took care of herself, what I love is that we see a man who finds her attractive nonetheless. so it is great to see a happy marriage and the obstacle they face is not some other woman, a major illness or some annoying relatives. instead, it is just insecurities arising from conflicting visions and that feels like a new conflict to see in a drama. at the same time, it would be nice to get some background to their relationship -- how did they meet? how did they fall in love? how about her family? we know that she has a brother who runs a chicken farm but besides that, some other background that gives light on what shaped her.....

thought it was interesting that chicken man makes a better heir than dong jin. like yeon shil mentioned, the old man had said that his son is not really like him. but chicken man is. in temperament, in loving suits and tailoring, and even their wives! the old lady reminds me of a mellow version of the chicken lady!!! hahahahha....  

[Lmangla]

1 hour ago, nubianlegalmind said:

As far as the motorbike guy, I agree with you. He is perplexed as to why the financial gap is so big and that it would take so long to even save enough money to buy his girlfriend such a watch. However, when they flashbacked on their relationship, it looked like he started working so much to help put his girlfriend through school. Because when he went on the interview, the president asked him why he didn't start looking for a job after school? Why did he wait? I thought it was because he was working for her. I could've misunderstood that. Yeah, I think he will end up at the tailor shop with the chicken husband and Dong Gun. Who knows, maybe they will prove to be competition for Meesa Apparel! 

yea, that was my impression as well. there was some comment from her that he helped pay for her classes (perhaps it was coaching classes to help take the exam) in the flashback. so in the beginning of the relationship, it is quite clear that he held the power both financial and emotional but with her getting a job, it slowly tilted on her side. the idea that she sees him as a bad memory is interesting. basically she despises the time when she was financially not doing well and he represents that time of terrible money pinching. so was she simply using him or did she simply outgrow him? a fortune hunter or simply closing a chapter that she does not want to return to? it will be interesting to see what happens if meesa apparel takes a turn down. will she dump dong jin's brother-in-law because he is no longer attractive?

but a question I have -- can someone answer this? -- what is the relationship between motorbike guy and grape girl yeon shil? are they cousins? are they neighbours? are they from the same high school? how exactly do they know each other?

 

[Lmangla]

3 hours ago, jayakris said:

She actually played the role of a former Miss Korea in her previous drama, Beautiful Gong Shim, too.

Yes, we have to root for her.  Some of these drama story lines that we take issue with, actually happen in Korea.  Maybe more so than in other societies?  At least that's the feeling I get.  Maybe I am wrong.

haven't seen her before in other dramas @jayakris ; as for story lines, think drama is often an exaggerated reflection of life.. sometimes our local tv dramas exasperate me and I think "what morons! who does that in real life?"... but then I turn on talk show and the kind of people that show up. ... yea, am sure some writer somewhere watches that and bases their dramas on bits and pieces of people's real lives.

so yea, some of the issues we see are a reflection of what happens in korea as well as around asia and other parts of the world. think that is why kdramas are so popular. when you have dramas that have a human element/conflict* that is common to all peoples, then folks from different places can still tune in and watch. so stuff like cheating, jealousy, wanting to be someone of worth, infertility etc.... it is the cultural traditions, rules and attitudes that we may not understand and that then limits the reach of some dramas. there are some english dramas and movies that don't do well here because the conflict feels too foreign to the local audience.. so that happens with entertainment in every place. some stories have limited audience while others can have a wider reach.

* conflict -- referring to parts of the story (in any literature) where conflict is the problem the characters are trying to solve...

[cafe99]

I can't believe that this thread has only four pages!

The drama is unexpectedly good and funny. Ran Mi Ran (chicken wife) and the fallen rock star are totally crazy lmao!

I've seen the 4 ep in 2 days and I can't wait to see ep 5! This drama looks promising. 

[Lmangla]

6 hours ago, cafe99 said:

I can't believe that this thread has only four pages!

hahahah... well, this isn't a romance drama with a guy with dimples and glorious hair! ... but yea, it would be nice to see the thread grow as people watch and post their thoughts. folks -- who is your favourite character and why? which character annoys you so far and think "no one exists like that in real life!"

[Misstwilightfan1416]

Episode 3 

Credit: KBS World, TV

[dekaron]

My fav parts are HyunKyung's char talking with her mom

I would have to side with the chicken lady on not going back to tailoring if it were real life, having failed 2 times with a steady decline in tailoring business they could end up on the streets or worse in debt too. It makes no sense to go for it again without any preparation and research on why it failed twice

[gaby81]

Hey there's no shame in pooping and peeping on the side of the road, as long as it's well over grown and there's ample cover to do it. Heck I'd go into the woods Abit to do it and take some toilet paper or tissues before hand, that's what we had to do when we visited Mexico during vacations before we had a good working toilet. 

Lol at the scenes with BDS and his wife (who is making him miserable by not letting doing the one thing that makes him happy-divorce her already ) 

We can see the love triangle setting up between the two young ladies for our female lead friend. 

Also, we already have a clear picture at the couplings and the love triangle(s). 

The OTP already is feeling that attraction or the like for each other, besides being rude and fighting with each other.  

Now the wife wants to be all wifey like with him and his family  I enjoyed this episode today and can't wait for tomorrow!

[Latte_Anyday]

Still not won over by this Drama yet despite its stellar cast lineup. However having said that, KBS Family Dramas do relatively well. I'm just still havin' serious Five Enough withdrawals is all *shrug* Geez what is up with Jo Yoonhee's hair LoL?! I actually prefer her in My Husband's Got A Family. Why is it whenever she meets up with Lee Donggeun, he get grapes thrown, seriously after awhile the slapstick wears thin I only enjoy La Miran's scenes, she's such a hoot to watch LoL!

Park Jungeum is so typecast now as the evil MIL

@Lmangla said:-

Quote

 folks -- who is your favourite character and why? which character annoys you so far and think "no one exists like that in real life!"

Ahahah nice to see you again! We seem to share the same tastes in Drama, is that good or bad LoL 

As mentioned above, my fave character is La Miran.

Annoying: Excluding La Miran, basically everyone else LoL. Although I have a soft spot for Hyunwoo (for obvious shallow reasons heh) 

[ecs707a]

On 9/5/2016 at 5:17 AM, Lmangla said:

so was checking out this other drama (it made me roll my eyes within a few minutes -- way too annoying characters) and was struck by the beginning of this drama -- instead of either a childhood segment or the candy heroine or the tortured lead, it instead focuses on a young version of the old tailor and then pans into the store and we see a changing landscape even as the store remains present. then we see the old tailor cutting away. how often do we see a drama begin its introduction with an older character instead of the main lead? makes for an interesting change no?

tagging some familiar folks -- if you are little tired of all the romance dramas floating about and are looking for a change of pace, this may be worth a see. this drama seems to be well-written (at least from the first two episodes that I saw) and has interesting characters and setup. on the site I watch, it goes under the kbs world title "the gentlemen of wolgyesu tailor shop"

Thank you for the recommendation!  I swear I'm always trying weekend dramas because I know they can be good, and I get through 1, 2, 5, 10 eps and then drop it.  I've only ever made it through one, but I love it to pieces, so maybe it just set the bar too high for me, haha.  Nevertheless, I'm always up for trying one.

Anyway, I just finally finished the first two eps on KBS World's youtube channel, and I like it so far!  Not much a fan of the huge, stupid coincidences (Dong Jin finding Yun Shil in the vineyard of all places; Tae Yang seeing what's-her-face at the restaurant with her date, where he just happens to be delivering something), but I like so many of the characters so far.

15 hours ago, Lmangla said:

well, this isn't a romance drama with a guy with dimples and glorious hair!

How can you say that?  There is plenty of glorious hair in this drama!

15 hours ago, Lmangla said:

who is your favourite character and why? which character annoys you so far and think "no one exists like that in real life!"

Okay, I definitely just skimmed through the last few posts with one eye open because I'm behind, but I can say what I think so far, anyway   I'll try to remember to come back and properly backread at some point.  With only 4 pages, I should have no excuse.

Favorite character is Tae Yang.  Awwww.  Plus, I'm kind of primed because Hyun Woo was so fabulous in Awl that I kind of just love him now, lol.  He's got a way of making characters really likeable.

Runner-up: Sung Joon, of the glorious hair.  Ha.

Runner-up #2: Dad, who is breaking my heart right now. 

Most annoying: Dong Sook, but only in the way that if she did exist (to me, she may be the least "real"), she would annoy the heck out of me.  But as a character, I find her amusing, so I hesitate to call her annoying.

Obviously, I could call a lot of the Meesa Apparel family annoying right now too, but that's too easy.