[Drama 2002] Winter Sonata (겨울연가)

[Guest dashuu]

[Anime 2009] Winter Sonata [voices of BYJ & CJW]

Winter Sonata (Drama - 2002) - 겨울연가 (Gyeo-ool Yeon-ga)



Starring: Choi Ji-Woo, Bae Yong-Joon, Lee Hye-Eun, Park Yong-Ha
Park Sol-Mi, Kwon Hae-Hyo



Director: Yun Seok-Ho
Genre: TV, Romance
Certification: All
Runtime: 1330mins
Production: KBS
Distribution: KBS
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Director: Yun Seok-Ho
Writer: Kim Eun-Hee
Writer: Yun Eun-Gyeong
Writer: Oh Su-Yeon
Cinematography: Kim Byeong-Cheon
Lighting: Kim Gwang-Su











QUOTE Winter Sonata (2002, KBS miniseries)

Another masterpiece by Korea's revered director, Yoon Suk-ho, Winter Sonata is the second installment of his famous four season series, the previous being Autumn Fairy Tale and the latest, Scent of Summer. Like its predecessor, Autumn Fairy Tale, Winter Sonata has a huge following in many parts of Asia, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Japan and Southeast Asia. Its two leading stars, Bae Yong-jun (Untold Scandal) and Choi Ji-woo also gained international fame because of the series.

Bae Yong-jun takes up the role of Kang Joon-sang, an illegitimate child whose mother is an accomplished pianist. Due to his parental background, he is an introvert who does not like to interact with people, and often does not take the initiative to express himself. Even though his mother has told him his father is dead, as a child, Joon-sang believes that he is still alive. Hence, when he becomes older, he decides to return to his mother's hometown, where his parents were lovers, in a bid to look for his biological father.

Joon-sang then transfers to the high school where Yoo-jin (Choi Ji-woo) studies. A couple of entertaining anecdotes then happen between the two protagonists and through these incidents, they grow to like each other. However, as Joon-sang investigates, he realizes that his biological father might be Yoo-jin's late father. Flustered by his new findings, he decides to leave. However, as he decides to rush to see Yoo-jin for one last time, he is knocked down by a car...

Meanwhile, as the rest of his schoolmates including Yoo-jin think that he is dead after the accident, he is in fact alive, but he has lost his memory. In a bid to let him lead a happier life, his mother decides to erase his previous memories and give him new memories with a new identity, Lee Min-hyung.

The show than fast forwards 10 years later, as Joon-sang and Yoo-jin have both grown up. Joon-sang returns as Min-hyung and as Chae-rin's boyfriend (Chae-rin was Yoo-jin and Joon-sang's classmate in high school, but later went to France for further studies). During this time, Yoo-jin was about to get engaged to her childhood playmate Sang-hyuk, played by up-and-coming actor Park Yong-ha. However, due to a twist of fate, Joon-sang and Yoo-jin meet again and become attracted to each other once more. As the fate of the four intertwines, the show goes on to tell of the enthralling love story between Joon-sang and Yoo-jin.

Winter Sonata is a captivating story. The chemistry between Bae Yong-jun and Choi Ji-woo is terrific. In fact, many people were so impressed by them that rumours surfaced that they were a real-life couple. Bae Yong-jun certainly impressed many with his gripping performance of Joon-sang and Min-hyung. This could be said to be his breakthrough drama, as it was through this show that he shot to great fame. Choi Ji-woo also proves herself as an A-list actress with her overwhelming performance as Yoo-jin. One of her scenes which enthralled me was when she was confronting Joon-sang, urging him not to fire an old worker. The feeling of urgency then topped 100%.

As for the supporting leads, Park Sol-mi did a good impersonation of Chae-rin. Park Yong-ha did fairly well, but acting alongside veteran actors Bae Yong-jun and Choi Ji-woo, he clearly showed his inexperience in this field. Finally, it would be almost unjust to leave Kim Hae-sook out of the picture. Acting as Yoo-jin's mother, her performance as the Korean "ajumma" added flavour and colour throughout the whole show.

Again, Yoon Suk-ho has proven himself as one of Korea's best drama tellers. With an impressive portfolio, many audience members certainly do look forward to his subsequent dramas. Winter Sonata is an original love story. It's definitely not-to-be-missed! (Review by Kit Lim)

[Guest dashuu]

i LOV LOV LOOOVED this DRAMA! i wondered why theres no thread of winter sonata, but maybe it was on the old soompi, but cant remember, ive actually seen it some weeks ago and i was suprised which deep impact it had, its definately worth to watch!!!!

~

we finally have a thread for winter sonata ^^

[Guest xbtcmdx]

i luvvvv this drama.... a lot of ppl actually prefer autumn tale but i think winter sonata will always be the best. this is my first drama ever so i guess itll leave a bigger impact on me. as much as i luv comedic dramas like full house, kim sam soon, etc... winter sonata still has that special effect on me...idk <3

thanks for starting a thread for this must watch drama

[Guest polaris]

thanks dashuu for reviving this thread!! looking at those photos brings back good memories of such a classic drama. I remember watching this with my family and best friends and we were so stuck to the TV screen. I'm not much of a crier but i cried so much during this drama. =)

[Guest luv dramas]

This drama is my absolute favorite! I remember looking forward to it every week and sometimes I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen so I searched the internet for anything and everything I could find about Winter Sonata. Naturally, I became a fan on BYJ and CJW too. I purchased this drama and have watched it all the way through about 6 times. To me, it is a classic.

[Guest teeny]

although i adore choi ji woo..this might be random but i HATED her hair in this drama~ i wish she kept the long hair she had in the first couple of episodes ><

[Guest Yasmin]

Finally, someone started this thread...

[Guest collage]

although i adore choi ji woo..this might be random but i HATED her hair in this drama~ i wish she kept the long hair she had in the first couple of episodes ><

just want to react with regards to your comment rergarding the change of hair cut of choi ji woo you might not be aware why she change her hair cut is due to the story which calls for her change and besides i doubt if you really have to change your admiration to a person just because you do not like her hair. i think if you love a person you will admire and love everything about her .

[Guest xx-outsider-xx]

I love the OST far more than the drama. it was one of the more wonderful drama OSTs out there. The storyline was a classic, kinda lagging in the middle, but was still beauttiful, poignant, and tugging at your heart strings.

If I remember it correctly, winter sonata is the very second korean drama i watched after 'Beautiful days' [the same female lead - choi ji woo] and those are the only dramas of choi ji woo that i found her acting not so irritating.

[Guest melonbar92]

this drama was a classic

i watched it when i was in grade two or three or something

and i still remember how much i loved it

i wish i could watch it again...

[Guest Whiteash]

i watched this drama dubbed in vietnamese :\ not Quite the same emotional effect

[Guest teeny]

just want to react with regards to your comment rergarding the change of hair cut of choi ji woo you might not be aware why she change her hair cut is due to the story which calls for her change and besides i doubt if you really have to change your admiration to a person just because you do not like her hair. i think if you love a person you will admire and love everything about her .

ooh im not saying that i stopped liking her due to her hair~ im just commenting that i think the long hair suits her~ it doesn't change the fact that she did perform/act very well in this drama

[Guest liezle]

Thanks dashuu for creating this thread. Though they may have been many good dramas that came out after "Winter Sonata" , WS will always remain to be a classic.

Here's sharing with you all some beautiful vods made by WS fans.

[VODs] Winter Sonata Classic Clips

[VOD] Winter Sonata Classic Clips

影迷自製<冬戀>精華片段

Source：cjwfc.com

http://www.geocities.jp/shieasatuma/vod/megucyunsan.wmv

http://www.geocities.jp/shieasatuma/vod/meguinori.wmv

http://www.geocities.jp/shieasatuma/vod/meguAngeles.wmv

I'll be sharing more later

[thesnowcrane]

Oh, wow. Winter Sonata. One of the very best dramas, I have to say.

People compare the 3 season dramas to one another, but I personally think that although they're part of the same trilogy, they're all individuals. I loved Autumn Tales, and Summer Scent, but that didn't stop me from liking Winter Sonata to my fullest extent.

I LOVED this drama... Although it lagged in the middle, the storyline and scenery were great, the OST was amazing, and of course, who can forget the awesome acting?? No matter how many times I watch it, it always gives me this "dreamy" feel. Bah, I love this drama.

[Guest dramalover]

Source:starjiwoo

Andre Kim's Fashion Show...

[Guest elviehunnie]

Maybe to some, Winter Sonata is just another Korean drama but for me, it will forever remain a personal favorite. With the bittersweet twists and turns of events unfolding in each episode, this drama is a far cry from the typical sappy, lovers living happily ever after endings. Maybe I'm just a sucker for heart wrenching scenes and I find guilty pleasure in watching lovers being separated by tragic circumstances. But I am also one for "you and me against the world" struggles and triumphs. I love the characterization played perfectly well by my two favorite stars, Bae Yong Joon and Choi Ji Woo. I specially love the OST.

[Guest frances]

thanks dashuu

i hope this thread will be a venue for all the good memories this drama brought to us all...

sharing an essay posted in koreanfilm.org

Why is Winter Sonata a Big Hit in Asia?

by Diana Lee

What is it about Winter Sonata that touches so many women of all ages throughout Asia? Upon a closer scrutiny, this Korean TV drama series offers more than a complex love story, intriguing plot twists, good acting, memorable scenes and lines, not to mention, breathtaking winter scenery backed up by melancholic music tunes. Under the crafty direction of Yun Seok Ho, the series presented a mastery of cinematic techniques tugging at one's heartstrings, like the sound and visual effects of a big screen effectively capturing one's imagination. Moreover, it addressed the perennial theme of love in all its complexity in our ever-changing society.

Unlike most tragedies with a sad ending, Winter Sonata reached a bittersweet conclusion even though everyone who had intimate connection with the two main characters paid the heavy price of emotional and mental agony. The story opened with Joon Sang portrayed by Bae Yong Jun in his finest performance and Yu Jin, played by the talented Choi Ji Woo, as two high school students who fell in love for the first time. Unfortunately, their ill-fated love suffered a cruel blow as our hero soon died in a car accident, leaving our heroine heart-broken and dispirited. Ten years later, Yu Jin found herself working on a ski resort project with Min Yeong who looked exactly like Joon Sang. Oddly enough, he was courting Yu Jin's high school rival, Chae Lin, deftly played by Park Sol Mi. Consequently, Yu Jin's uncontrollable attraction to Min Yeong jeopardized her engagement to her childhood admirer, Sang Hyuk, played by Park Yong Ha, who in conspiracy with Chae Lin, tried everything to separate the two destined lovers. When the truth came out that Min Yeong and Joon Sang were the same person and worse still, the suspicion that Joon Sang and Yu Jin were half-brother and sister, everyone involved was thrown into utter confusion, resulting in grief and detrimental pain.

Following the success of directing the TV drama series, Autumn Tales, Yun Seok Ho demonstrated his supremacy in making melodramas using symbolism, parallelism, repetition, and timing, as provocative ways to stir emotions and draw tears from the audience. The main symbols in Winter Sonata -- the star Polaris (representing Joon Sang), the missing puzzle piece (representing Yu Jin in Joon Sang's life), and the first snowfall of winter (representing the meeting of the two lovers) -- appeared repetitively throughout the melodrama to hammer the point of their significance they contributed to the story. Furthermore, the excellent use of parallelism and repetition compounded the dramatic effects in scenes -- whenever Yu Jin and Sang Hyuk were fighting, Min Yeong and Chae Lin were also arguing; when Yu Jin and Min Yeong strolled through their high school, each taking a different path, unaware of one another's presence; and when Yu Jin tried to tail whom she thought was Joon Sang in the crowd and later Sang Hyuk attempted to follow whom he thought was Yu Jin in the streets.

Although the drama is basically a love story, it tackled many contemporary themes: 1) character duality -- Joon Sang personified the dark side and Ming Yeong, the bright side; 2) identity problems -- Joon Sang searched for the identity of his father and later Min Yeong questioned his own identity; 3) different reactions to the loss of love -- Yu Jin's sad disposition, Joon Sang's escapes to America, San Hyuk's suicide attempt, and Chae Lin's drinking binge; 4) incestuous love remained a taboo in modern age; and 5) fate prevailed no matter what others did to prevent the destined lovers from getting together.

The main reason for Winter Sonata's popularity could be attributed to its bold exposition of the various aspects of love: 1) puppy love; 2) first love; 3) possessive love; 4) lost love; 5) parental love; and 6) true love. Everyone in the audience has experienced at least one or more of these different shades of love, where he or she could empathize with any of the characters at one time or another in this melodrama.

In high school, Choi Ji Woo and Bae Yong Jun in their roles convincingly demonstrated the beauty of innocence and sweetness of puppy love as they helped and defended each other. Then the puppy love blossomed into first love when their most impressionable memories consisted of things they did together for the first time. It was through this love that the gloom and anger in Joon Sang faded away when he was in the presence of Yu Jin.

The series also showed the negative impact of possessive love -- Sang Hyuk for Yu Jin and Chae Lin for Min Yeong -- in which Sang Hyuk and Chae Lin would do anything to keep their loved ones to themselves, including lying, scheming, and hurting others. When they finally lost their beloveds to the destined pair, they marched down a familiar path of self-destruction -- Sang Hyuk tried to commit suicide and Chae Lin slumped into a drinking stupor. However, mature love requires making sacrifices -- putting the beloved's happiness above everything else -- as seen in Sang Hyuk's release of Yu Jin to the revived Joon Sang, in Chae Lin's suggestion to Joon Sang to elope with Yu Jin despite everyone's disapproval of their marriage, in Joon Sang's decisions to place Yu Jin's well-being above all his needs, and in Yu Jin's respect for Joon Sang's resolution to bid their last farewell.

Even in modern times, family plays a dominant role in Asian culture. At the beginning, Joon Sang desperately sought parental love from a father he never knew, and later he could forgive his mother for all the wrongs she had done him. Suppressing her feelings, Yu Jin chose Sang Hyuk over Min Yeong to abide the wishes of Sang Hyuk's family and her own mother. As the drama unfolded, the meddling of three families -- Sang Hyuk's parents, Joon Sang's mother and Yu Jin's mother -- caused more harm than good with endless sorrow and tragic consequences to their offsprings.

Like all great love stories, true love as written in the stars exists in the one and only couple made for one another. Obviously, Joon Sang and Yu Jin were destined to be together, for they both fell in love with each other, not once but twice and could love no one else.

In conclusion, Winter Sonata delivered a tearjerker with a moving tale and unforgettable characters. It brought a paragon mate for a modern woman to life, exemplified by Joon Sang -- handsome, sensitive, intelligent, and successful in life. More importantly, he was able to love a woman with complete gentleness and understanding, even at the risk of his own welfare and happiness. In addition, the drama series successfully revealed the manifestations of love in real life, to which everyone in the audience could relate. As Winter Sonata makes its appearance around Asia, its popularity will certainly grow, for it possesses all the elements of a classic drama.

Diana Lee (www.uniorb.com) has traveled extensively and worked abroad in Cameroon, China and Japan. Her work has appeared in several magazines, ezines and anthologies. Interested in various forms of writing, she has written essays, poems, and short stories.

[Guest liezle]

[MV] WLS---Till The End

source：loveyongjoon

(21.9 mb)

http://www.loveyongjoon.com/upload/lindsy/tilltheend.wmv

Lovers' Oath in WLS (in Black & White)

<冬戀>愛的盟誓 (黑白片)

Source：CJWFC

http://www.cjwfc.com/media/wls/WLS9004-2.wmv

Memory of Love in WLS

<冬戀>愛的回憶

http://www.cjwfc.com/media/wls/WLS900401.wmv

[Guest dramalover]

credit:starjiwoo

[Guest frances]

sharing some artworks from wls fans

sketch made by a fellow fan from china, tracy ~

artwork from a japanese fan, maria chris ~