[Drama 2018] My Mister, 나의 아저씨 - Best Drama at 2019 (55th) BaekSang Arts Awards

[justamom]

2 hours ago, mylovelystar said:

So it cannot be true that she has a cutesy image "targeting a much younger audience than the target audience for My Ahjussi"

 

I feel like we've been down this road before. And I'm cool with Lee Ji Eun and think she's awesome and super talented  

 

But the poll says "idol survey"

 

And most women in their thirties and forties no longer have "idols"

 

 

That is all.

[sadiesmith]

This should be representative of the many articles that came out during the peak of MA controversies.  

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2017/11/688_239053.html

 

Geez, I didn't know your life is supposed to be over the moment you turn 40.  

[TJ Starcandy]

55 minutes ago, Joseph Lim said:

Sorry but when have IU or Fave Ent promote cutesy image for IU recently?

 

She transition away from the cutesy image her agency make her do in her early career at 2013 with her dramas and music. 2013 is the only year she do 2 drama a year and you can see the sharp contrast in the role of both her characters she play. Bel Ami was hold the cutesy image but You Are the Best! is very much her life story. She follow up this with The Producers which is basically Ji-ah as an idol.

 

She reinforce this by releasing Modern Times album at 2013 signalling the end of the cutesy image her agency put upon her

 

@Joseph LimMy apologies to cut your post short. I  don't really like to disagree with a fellow fan but IU still has not shed off that cutesy image. In fact, she reverted back to it with her Palette comeback in 2017. Regardless of how much IU wanted to avoid being called the Nation's Little Sister, she also cannot afford to lose that image because of her superstar status in her home country. She has to cater to the Korean general public which quite frankly is still a very conservative society. 

 

I know this may be off topic but since you are mentioning IU's music and past albums let's discuss it. Modern Times was a jazz bossa nova so it appealed to the conservative older Korean general public with the exception of the hit bop Friday. She didn't really tried to break free from the cute girl next door image even her Friday MV was cute. Nothing daring about it. 

 

Then Flower BookMark 1 - she came back to her ballad roots with the collection of old folk songs. Again appealing to the older conservative Korean general public. 

 

The Chatshire era (2015) she tried to be daring and sexy - with a racy GQ pictorial and a controversial album. She was trying to shatter the innocent goody two shoes image. The Korean public was not ready for it in my opinion. Hence, all the controversies etc followed that album concept everywhere. It was such a shame because in my opinion Chatshire was the golden year of IU's excellent lyrical verse as a songwriter. However, the brilliance of the album was overshadowed by the mounting controversy.

 

It took her another 2 years to release Palette in 2017. Only this time she learned the fine balance between maintaining her favorable cute public image and her steady growth as a mature artist. The album was a huge commercial success partly because IU found a way to express her music without ruffling too many feathers. My point is although IU tried to shed off the cute image but there are still CF films where she acted cute and banked on her image as Nation's Little Sister (Mon Cher, Kdpharm, etc..). Also, IU is physically cute without even trying with those baby cheeks, doll skin, and petite stature. I think the woman just learned  to embrace the cutesy image instead of rebelling against the very image that made her famous in the first place. She learned to compromise when needed with her management but at the same time it gave her freedom to venture on risky projects like My Ajusshi because of her bankability as a celebrity.

 

She mentioned how the role of Jian and the drama were so important that it would likely stay with her for a long time. I could understand why IU said those words for the simple reason that she was free for 5-6 months from the expectations of being the cute top star. I think she loved playing the manipulative bad girl Jian, in fact even during filming she preferred to be called by her character's name all the time. IU successfully shed off that cute idol image because of My Ajusshi only this time the general public was behind her 100%. They were rooting for her. As I mentioned before, I have been following IU's dramas for years and watching BTS clips. I could tell that she was happiest while filming My Ajusshi which was odd because the tone of the drama was depressing but the girl was always giddy and goofing around. She even got drunk.  

 

[widala]

12 hours ago, timidjock0819 said:

 

 

The perfect storm of controversy when My Ajusshi production was announced late last year. It started when a fraction of IU's immature Kpop fanbase flooded her IG with hate messages voicing out their  disappointment regarding  her drama role choices. They were expecting another Moon Lovers sequel or she would be paired with another pretty boy actor.  Some even threaten to leave her fandom if she chose My Ajusshi as her next project. The posts are still there in her SNS  so you guys can freely read all the awful messages. The reaction was so intense from her own immature fans that it actually made news as @sadiesmith highlighted above. Then the real IU haters/antis started to jump into the bandwagon and repeating her previous album lyric scandal by spreading false malicious rumors. After that, the korean feminazis started weighing in the issue because you know it's IU so any news about  her was a big deal in South Korea. Moreover,  Lee Sun Gyun is more of an indie actor. He is handsome and charming but he does not have enough fangirls to defend him against all the haters. Poor guy.

 

Now in Mr Sunshine, there was no big outrage right? The kdrama fans are cringing a bit but the majority are all open to the possible love angle between Kim Taeri and Lee Byung Hyun. Case point that there is always a big difference in maturity level between kdrama viewers and kpop fans. So I agree that IU's idol image has something to do with the controversy but in fairness she also gave Kim Won Suk a heads up early on. However, this PD really believed in her and wanted her for the role of Jian. She had no choice because IU was not crazy to turn down an offer from the great Kim Won Suk. She understood that working with this PD would elevate and challenged her as an actress. This decision was a no-brainer. And IU was right because not only she delivered a great performance but she also garnered so much respect as an actress from her sunbaes in the industry. 

 

 

Thanks for the explanation...

Those immature so-called fans, haters and antis are really scary...

Ever since the news about drama Boyfriend is out, there are already negative comments. 

Mostly about the age difference, and Song Hye Kyo and Park Bo Gum personal relationships irl. Comments like, since PBG and Song Jong Ki are bff, doesn't it weirds to do a romance with your bf's wife? Smh..

But, SHK and PBG large fan base ready to defend them and back them up.

And for Lee Sun Kyun, I hope he will get so much more recognition he deserves, and more fans who will support his future projects...

 

[justamom]

2 hours ago, timidjock0819 said:

She mentioned how the role of Jian and the drama were so important that it would likely stay with her for a long time. I could understand why IU said those words for the simple reason that she was free for 5-6 months from the expectations of being the cute top star. I think she loved playing the manipulative bad girl Jian, in fact even during filming she preferred to be called by her character's name all the time. IU successfully shed off that cute idol image because of My Ajusshi only this time the general public was behind her 100%. They were rooting for her. As I mentioned before, I have been following IU's dramas for years and watching BTS clips. I could tell that she was happiest while filming My Ajusshi which was odd because the tone of the drama was depressing but the girl was always giddy and goofing around. She even got drunk.  

 

 

@timidjock0819 That was a great analysis/summary. You hit the nail on the head, IU can't help it, she looks cute  which is why I couldn't reconcile mean badass Ji An with the IU music videos I had seen earlier. It must have been so liberating for her to portray Ji An and for her "old soul" and "real voice" to have the chance to come out. Absolutely a 30,000 year old soul living in a twenty-one year old body.

 

So a little voice whispered in my ear something about IU's Ahjussi fans. I googled "IU uncle fans" and my mind exploded. This is a whole new rabbit hole! 

 

http://askakorean.blogspot.com/2015/11/iu-and-zeze.html

 

( @ninaanin if you're still here did you know about this?)

 

What does TK think about this? The controversy itself is uninteresting; the more interesting part is the way in which IU decided to make this song. TK is convinced that, in today's K-pop scene, IU is the artist who possesses the most self-awareness about the way in which the K-pop market consumes her (or more precisely, her image,) and the interaction between her actions and the pattern of that consumption. In fact, she may be the most careful orchestrator of self-image in Korean pop music since Seo Taiji.

 

Here is the uncomfortable truth: underlying much of IU's fandom is the id of barely-legal pedophilic desire. To be sure, this is a general phenomenon in the K-pop market, in which "uncle fans" of girl groups--men in their 30s and up, ogling mostly-uncovered young women--make up a significant portion of the fan base. Writ large, it is the general phenomenon of the way in which most young female pop stars are consumed in the market. (The Catholic school girl uniform by Britney Spears was certainly not geared only toward young men of her age.)

 

But what sets IU apart from other youthful, girlish-looking K-pop idols is that, unlike the girl groups who are creations of a producing company, IU has invited the pedophilic gaze on her own terms. IU does not settle for the crude simulacra of pedophilia, like a school girl outfit. (Although she certainly does employ that too.) She employs much more sophisticated devices, like issuing a remake album containing hit songs from 1980s and 90s. (For an 80s song to be meaningful, you must be at least born in late 1970s. IU was born in 1993.) One of the most popular moments of IU is when she sings the songs of Kim Gwang-seok, whose soulful reflection on self made him the legend of early 90s Korean pop music. In this sense, IU is akin to an evolved Madonna; like the pioneering female American pop artist, IU flipped the script by taking over the agency of her own sexuality. In fact, IU does one better than Madonna, because she does this without any crass skin exposure. 

 

----

 

No wonder there was so much controversy! It all makes sense now! Again, Lee Ji Eun is awesome and not that this is fair or deserved, but, now it makes sense!

 

---

 

@sadiesmith The party's just begun! Why else are we hanging out here 

 

--

I spy with my little eye....the one and only @seungshin!!! I am waiting to hear your thoughts on the show!

 

[arctichare]

Not to add another IU centric post but reading all of your words I can't help but say my piece on IU as well.

 

I find it a little infuriating how women in kpop have to bear the brunt of this stunningly misogynistic industry and then are criticized when they do their best to survive in said industry. I find most of the criticism/controversy of female idols like IU, happen whenever they try to take control of their work.

 

IU started working in the music industry when she was only 15, and when her debut song (a dark and moody ballad) didn't click with the public, her company forced her to re-vamp her image (and music) into something cute, bubbly and far more marketable.

And I imagine IU hated every single minute of it but she was young and had to acquiesce to her company's wishes.

So she changed her image and tasted stratospheric success in her "Good Day" era. And slowly but surely she started leveraging that success to take back creative control of her music (and image).

 

IU like most young girls in kpop started with a vast amount of "uncle" fans and that dictated how she was marketed. But once she started writing her songs and producing her albums, she started reaching out to a wide variety of listeners. But that fact that she took control and started shining a light on the hypocrisy of certain parts of the audience who only wanted to see her as a young girl forever (especially during Chat-Shire era) - I think that angered a certain section of the audience. 

I think that coupled with the fact that she's wildly popular anyway, means anything she does gets scrutinized and some people are always ready with their pitchforks.

 

But having said that, I don't think the fear of controversy will ever stop IU. I think she will continue to do what she wants.

As it stands now, IU has more female fans than male (which is a rarity in kpop for a female act). I think right now IU is one of the few singers/idols who have hard power in the kpop industry, has creative control of her work and has been consistently successful 10 years into her career.

 

I don't know about you guys, but I really admire how she has navigated herself through this deeply patriarchal and mercurial industry. I hope she continues to do really really well in both her music and acting projects.

[ninaanin]

Hello @justamom, I'm here every day, only not logged in  .

 

Yes, I know the book. Meu pé de laranja lima (My sweet orange tree) is very popular in Brazil, through the book itself and also through movie and telenovelas (soap opera). Part of the book's success rests on its ability to be read, at the same time, as a child book and as an adult book.

 

It took me a bit of time to understand that Zeze is Zezé (it makes a huge difference in portuguese) lol.  Zezé is a five yo boy, very precocious and prankish, who learned to read alone and lives in a transition between real world and fantasy: he has a great imagination, but at the same time has a deep understanding (for his age) of reality. Due to his pranks, he is severely punished by his family. Only his sweet sister (Glória) can sometimes save him. He has two friends: the orange tree (Minguinho - who is still young and which first blooming happens at the end of the story) and an old portuguese immigrant. 

 

Making comparison between Zezé, the young orange tree and IU's lyrics, I really understand why one can see it as an erotic song. I don't know if this is widespread, but in my country, a flower can be a symbol of virginity, and to say to take "the flower" is a metaphor of to take the woman's virginity.  I will not deal with other words in IU's song, but it seems to me that the lyrics of her song can be seen as very controversial, in special in a conservative country like Korea. 

 

Bye!  

 

 

 

 

 

[akhenaten]

I think the controversy that plagued MA especially at the beginning was due to a combination of LJE's persona and status as IU, the idol and nation's little sister and the fact that her partner LSK is really more actor than celebrity and not exactly your typical onscreen oppa in terms of looks. 

 

No offense meant to LJE or any of her fans and not to undermine her efforts to completely shed her cutesy idol image but I don't think it's something that will go away easily, especially since it was the image that endeared her to the public.  There will be those who will not be able to accept the fact that IU has grown up and is choosing to broaden her horizons as an artist.  And I think they are those who will find it hard to accept that she would want to eventually become a serious actress, and everything else that comes with it.  

 

As for LSK, let's face it.  if you look at most of the KDramas out there, you can count on your hands those whose leads (whether male or female) actually look like real, ordinary people.  Most of them are populated with actors (mostly idols or former idols) who have been obviously beautified.  And they're almost always dressed impeccably, no matter the social status of their character.  Eye candy, more often than not.  Obviously, a lot of people expected LJE's leading man to be someone along those lines because she's pretty and a former idol.  From what I've observed, Korean audiences are very particular about the "visuals" of their drama leads.  That's probably the reason why I also read a lot of comments from MA viewers who shipped Ji An with Kwang Il (even if it was totally wrong) because they thought he was very handsome and they're still quite hung up on IU's video where he played her character's love interest.  But then, I don't think those typical "oppa" actors would have made Park Dong Hoon come alive as LSK did.  And he wouldn't have become memorable.  

 

I think MA was very important to LJE because it was a major step towards being emancipated from her old idol image and becoming an actress.  Not only did she work with a director and a writer who are excellent in their craft and known to be so, but she acted with real actors, and when I say "real" I mean thespians.  The kind that actually do it professionally.  All of her fellow actors in MA are veterans of the film and stage and some of them actually teach in universities.  These are the people who take their craft seriously.  Someone like LJE would definitely learn a lot from them.  That's why it's good to know that her fellow actors have praised her acting and see her not as the idol IU but as the actress LJE.  This was very clear in their words when they sent her video greetings on her birthday (they call her Lee Ji Eun and not IU) and in interviews post-drama.  These actors brought out the best in her, acting-wise, and LJE knows that.  

 

On another note, there were some references to Goblin since that drama also had an age gap between the leads.  I read that Goblin also encountered some controversy in the beginning not just because of the age gap but because they didn't really know much about Kim Go Eun and found her "not pretty".  Kim Go Eun is more like LSK in the sense that she's an actress and not a celebrity.  But the ratings proved that she and Gong Yoo did have good chemistry as far as the viewers were concerned (although I'm sure the ratings were also helped by the many Gong Yoo fans who missed seeing him on the small screen).    

 

  

[Joseph Lim]

6 hours ago, timidjock0819 said:

 

@Joseph Lim

No problem. We can agree that we have a different definition of what "cutesy image" is than

For me "cutesy image" is the one that was force upon her by her agency after her debut flop to appeal to the mass.

E.g

Spoiler

 

I do not consider her natural self as "cutesy image" cause that is unfair as it is part who she is.

Also I do not consider Mon Cher, Kdpharm CF as "cutesy image" cause they are not marketing it with her "cutesy image" as a focus but with her "healing" image as the focus. 

[Guest]

17 hours ago, justamom said:

 

I feel like we've been down this road before. And I'm cool with Lee Ji Eun and think she's awesome and super talented  

 

But the poll says "idol survey"

 

And most women in their thirties and forties no longer have "idols"

 

 

That is all.

Just to enlighten us, how hard she pave her own road to be IU the best solo singer, song writer, producer a genius true actress.

 

She overcome all the low expactation about her talent to fueld her imagination to proved their judgment far for profesionalism that's way she  challenge herself to be a profesional in all aspect Indeed IU is queen of k.pop Lee jieun is genius actress.

[mushroomsoupie]

Kim Won Suk just posted on his FB regarding the me too movement and the controversy surrounding my Ahjussi

 

 

Another updated comment:

http://gall.dcinside.com/board/view/?id=mymister&no=58251&page=1

 

I'm so frustrated to see this. I can't even imagine how the creators Kim Won Suk, Park Hae Young themselves would feel for their work to be misunderstood like this. 

 

[sadiesmith]

@mushroomsoupie, do you know what is being said?

[mushroomsoupie]

3 minutes ago, sadiesmith said:

@mushroomsoupie, do you know what is being said?

 

unfortunately not  I just saw a bunch of DC Gallery members being upset so that's why I decided to share it here

[seungshin]

19 hours ago, justamom said:

I spy with my little eye....the one and only @seungshin!!! I am waiting to hear your thoughts on the show!

 

You're funny.  I did marathoned the drama this past weekend.  I will never do that again.  I say that every time.  Its too painful.  I was a zombie on Monday.  Still feeling fuzzy in my head.  I am a big fan of IU (love her songs) and LSK (his acting and yes his voice) so this was a treat. Pretty heavy story though.  The filming reminded me of Misaeng which I loved.  Didn't see Signal or OHY so can't compare with them.  This gives me completely different vibes and feel from SLA (Secret Love Affair) but I don't know how to explain how and why.  In fact, I am completely unable to say more about the drama as of yet, which is why I started reading the forum from the beginning.  I think I got to about page 20 so far.  This is where you probably saw me.  I will try to read some more and get back to you all   Cheers!

 

PS:  Hello to everyone on the forum!

 

[sadiesmith]

13 minutes ago, seungshin said:

 

You're funny.  I did marathoned the drama this past weekend.  I will never do that again.  I say that every time.  Its too painful.  I was a zombie on Monday.  Still feeling fuzzy in my head.  I am a big fan of IU (love her songs) and LSK (his acting and yes his voice) so this was a treat. Pretty heavy story though.  The filming reminded me of Misaeng which I loved.  Didn't see Signal or OHY so can't compare with them.  This gives me completely different vibes and feel from SLA (Secret Love Affair) but I don't know how to explain how and why.  In fact, I am completely unable to say more about the drama as of yet, which is why I started reading the forum from the beginning.  I think I got to about page 20 so far.  This is where you probably saw me.  I will try to read some more and get back to you all   Cheers!

 

PS:  Hello to everyone on the forum!

 

Welcome, @seungshin!  Long time resident happy to see you here.  Hope you share your thoughts once you're ready.

[mylovelystar]

IU's cutesy image was built up by her agency at the beginning.  In recent years, I think she now calls the shots at her agency.  She writes the lyrics and produces her recent albums.  And these recent albums have shed the cutesy image in my opinion.

 

 

 

I don't think IU targets a specific audience/demographic. She produces songs that are precious and close to her thoughts, the songs will speak to a wide range of age groups:

• People younger than her will imagine that that's what they will go through in the future
• People at the same age will resonate with her
• People older will reminisce their past

 

 

I don't think IU can simply be defined by the clothes she wears in CFs or on the stage (like the recent birthday fan meet which later aired My Mister on the big screen) but more the heart and soul that she sings and acts.

 

 

 

If I may share a little bit more, I really love Dear Name in her Palette album.  Under ">Reveal hidden contents" below:

Spoiler

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zsYZFvKniw

 

 

Here's a write-up on Dear Name from https://www.openthekpop.com/lyrical-analysis/iu-dear-name-lyrical-analysis

 

 

 

Quote

I'm so glad Palette by IU won album of the year at the Melon Awards because there is one specific song that needs to be an anthem for the lost, the alone, the heart broken, the hurt. If you still don't know what song I'm talking about, it is “Dear Name”, the final song on IU's incredibly moving album. I fell in love with this song instantly and I already know what the song is about. It's about the lives of those related to victims of the Sewol Tragedy. The song talks about their pain and struggles to move on after the incident. However, I'd like to take a stab at looking at the lyrics without the tragedy in mind. I just want to read the lyrics as if I was IU writing them. 

 

More under ">Reveal hidden contents" below:

Spoiler

Quote

The voice I long for even in my dreams
I call out the name but there’s no answer
Only the tearful echo returns
And I listen to that sound by myself

IU starts out this phenomenal song by expressing her desire to be with a loved one that is no longer around. “The voice I long for even in my dreams” makes the assumption that the person doesn't exist on the earth anymore. She continues singing “I call out the name but there's no answer” confirming the non-existence of this person in this world. The last two lines dwell on the empty feeling of missing someone and possibly not having closure with that person.

Even if it’s so cold, it feels like it’ll break
I won’t ever let go this time
The hands of that day that has gotten so far away
Through the night that was endlessly long and thick and dark
I know your wish has silently disappeared
I’ll wait for a long time, I will definitely find you

IU is thinking to herself that if she had a second chance to keep that person nearby, she'd never let go. She regrets the day that she lost this person. The last line of the stanza “I'll wait for a long time, I will definitely find you” is basically IU saying that she'll meet this person again in Heaven. In death.

 

Even if you’re so far that I can’t see you
Let’s go, to the place at the tip of dawn
The child who stands in front of me without fail
Head hanging low but never crying
When I sadly hold out my hand, the child runs away
So I hold onto the empty air by myself

This stanza is incredibly sad. The imagery here is so profound. “Let's go to the place at the tip of the dawn”. I like to imagine this line is saying she wants to meet this person at the edge of dream and consciousness. That moment before you wake up. “When I sadly hold out my hand, the child runs away so I hold onto the empty air by myself”. To be presented with a concept such as this within a song that is so short is unbelievable. She's telling the listener that she reached out, in her dreams, for this person, this child and the only thing that remains is the cold, empty air.

Even if it hurts so much
I won’t forget this time
The words that waited so long by itself

This portion of the song changes with each refrain and IU is singing about not letting go of the memories even though they may hurt and may be hard to keep, she will keep holding on.

Through the night that was endlessly long and thick and dark
I know your wish has silently disappeared
I’ll wait for a long time, I will definitely find you

Even if you’re so far that I can’t see you
Let’s go, to the place at the tip of dawn
Through the endlessly lost, cold and cruel days
I know your name that has silently been forgotten
I won’t stop, I’ll shout out several times

Even if you’re so far that I can’t believe it
Let’s go, to the place at the tip of dawn

 

[justamom]

6 hours ago, mushroomsoupie said:

Kim Won Suk just posted on his FB regarding the me too movement and the controversy surrounding my Ahjussi

 

Another updated comment:

http://gall.dcinside.com/board/view/?id=mymister&no=58251&page=1

 

I'm so frustrated to see this. I can't even imagine how the creators Kim Won Suk, Park Hae Young themselves would feel for their work to be misunderstood like this. 

 

 

 

I'll try and translate it later, but apparently a journalist made negative comments about the violent scenes between Ji An and Gwang Il and Ji An's response "you like me, don't you."

 

@seungshin the whole time I was watching My Ahjussi I thought, this is totally your type of show and wouldn't it be nice to hear your thoughts. I remember reading your comments on the Secret Love Affair, On the Way to the Airport and The Good Wife threads and always appreciating your thoughtful interpretations  

 

You're right. My Ahjussi isn't a drama to marathon. It's really heavy.

 

(edit)

 

I don't know what is wrong with these guys. "You like me, don't you" - I thought that was a brilliant line that described their relationship and went straight to the heart of their conflict. That many men commit violence against women they actually love (or think they love), and they are the ones who most need healing. And it matched so perfectly with Gwang Il's confession later in the story - "I don't know if I should kill you. Or kill myself."

Edited July 11, 2018 by Jillia
Please do not quote IGs! Thanks! :)

[justamom]

Another one on the never-ending translation list! This one is gold.

 

This is a film critic's perspective of the screenwriting, cinematography and shot composition of My Ahjussi, using the Caution Electricity Scene. 

 

What I think @timidjock0819 also mentioned earlier...going away from close-ups to show emotion, but instead panning out to wide shots to highlight the character's isolation and loneliness

 

http://leesunok.com/archives/630

 

Anyone know who is Lee Sun Ok?

[mylovelystar]

Mnet using the My Mister hashtag (Japanese language) for this tweet promoting LSG 

 

[widala]

2 hours ago, mylovelystar said:

Mnet using the My Mister hashtag (Japanese language) for this tweet promoting LSG 

 

 

This is a part of the show promoted above (TAXI)...

There's a brief translation of their talk in comment section... 

He's so funny 

There are other parts in YouTube but don't have translation 

Sorry, if anyone else have posted this video before in this forum...

 

 

Edited July 11, 2018 by Jillia
Please do not quote IGs! Thanks! :)