Hyde, Jekyll, and I

Hyde, Jekyll, and I

Title: 하이드 지킬, 나 / Haideu Jikil Na
Genre: Romance, comedy
Episodes: 20
Broadcast network: SBS
Broadcast period: 2015, Jan to 2015, Mar

 

Synopsis

Goo Seo Jin is the director of Wonderland theme park and Jang Ha Na works in the Wonderland circus. She falls in love with Seo Jin's alter-ego, Robin. Seo Jin is the Jekyll; possessing a cold personality. Robin's personality is Hyde; possessing a sweet and innocent personality.

Main Cast

Hyun Bin as Goo Seo Jin (mid 30s, Executive Director of Thema Park Wonderland) / Robin (early 30s, Seo Jin's alter-ego)
Han Ji Min as Jang Ha Na (mid 20s, Commandant of Wonder Circus)
Sung Joon as Yoon Tae Joo (early 30s, Hypnotist)

Review

I really tried to get into this one and like it for what it was worth, but that never happened, and 20 episodes was pushing it way beyond its rightful boundaries, too.

There was just too much going on for me to really get to know the two leads, want to like either of them, or even care how it all turned out.

This was Hyun bin's comeback role after having served in the military, and I suppose the script sounded like something right up his alley, but even as fantasy meets reality as it turned out to be, his performance as a split personality wasn't memorable.

Even Sung Joon wasn't enough to keep me interested, and I adore him.

He did well as the antagonist with a vendetta against Seo jin.

He played the psychotic nemesis superbly, but . . . I don't quite know or understand what, exactly, went wrong here.

 I did like Han Ji min's performance, though. She's very pretty, like-able, and did a good job acting the part of a family-less Korean woman trying to make it on her own.

I'm thinking maybe it is because Hyun Bin ALWAYS plays the part of a wealthy heir living in some fantasy realm who is a hard-nosed bastard that ends up melting in the arms of the leading lady that this story fell a bit flat?

Maybe it is because the theme of this story took too long to unfold, so that even the so-called comedy bits and aside players who cropped up every now and again weren't enough to motivate me to want to see more.

I didn't like Robin at all and got really tired of hearing his name pronounced Korean-style for 20 episodes, too. Row-been.

He was a childish twerp who behaved more like a nine year old than a 30 something grown man and it was off-putting to say the least.

I didn't like that she had this really cool job but we never ONCE got to see her in action or watch a single performance from her circus troop.

What a bummer that turned out to be.

And, I especially couldn't stand (never do like) the fact that for 20 long, repetitive episodes of just about the same thing, the same dialogue, and the same motions, the two leads never once kissed or showed their true emotions for one another.

No I Love You, no stealing kisses here and there, no affection or warmth on either part, which always frustrates the hell out of me and makes me not want to root for their so-called romance.

Lastly, I got tired real quickly of the running theme song.

Agonizing, and I don't want to be walking around for the next few weeks with that tune stuck inside my head.

So, for those of you who are interested in watching, it is about an heir and his best friend (the son of the chauffeur) who are kidnapped at a young age.

The traumatic scars inflict both boys, and they grow up with two separate mental disorders.

The story begins in the present, slowly unravels the past, and in between there is a fast but yawn-fest romance that occurs.

The action picks up when Sung Joon's real personality is revealed, and for a few episodes we watch the same thing being rehashed until the director decides it is time to move on.

One of the two personalities has to go, and by the end, neither personality is ready to give up on the other.

Meh.