June 2016 ~ Asian Drama Queen

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Entertainer

딴따라 / Ddanddara

Genre - Comedy, Drama, Romance
Screenwriter - Yoo Young ah (유영아)
Episodes - 18
Network - SBS
Broadcast - 2016, Apr to Jun
Cinderella Plot - No

CAST

SYNOPSIS

Shin Suk ho worked for one of the largest entertainment companies as a director, but after a series of let-downs, he starts up his own smaller talent agency. He gathers people to form a band, and through a lot of hardship and soul searching, Shin Suk ho becomes a real and successful manager. ~DramaWiki (w/edits)

REVIEW

In all honesty, this would have been a winner had it ended at 16, but with the addition of two more episodes (to wrap up all the loose ends), I'm still glad I watched and remained ENTERTAINER(d).

And, what an ending Episode 16 turned out to be, eh?

As a matter of fact, on a 1:10 scale in the weepy category, Tantara would probably be in the 9 to 9 1/2 range (I'm suggesting the need of at least two tissue boxes if you plan to watch all 18 episodes in one sitting).

seriously, you'll need the tissues

However, it might be that seventeen and eighteen were added not just to clear up any loose ends, but also as a way to help calm down the viewer so (we) could finally breathe, smile, and actually enjoy the rest of the story.

(It is a) Sin (to) Suk ho had his work cut out for him from the very start, I must say.

Semi-ruthless, go-getter mentality, and in desperate need of an extra-strength prescription for Ritalin, Suk ho bulldozed his way through life and his career, knocking down anyone who stood in his way and barely making a dent in his hidden conscience any time he let someone down or cut someone out of their fair share in a coveted piece of ENTERTAINER(ment) pie.

And then his even more ruthless, cunning, conniving, and vindictive boss made things much worse by setting the wheels in motion to have Suk ho destroyed before being fired.

Jeon No min as Lee Joon suk

This is the first drama I can recall where the levity scenes had little to no affect on me in the first sixteen episodes.

It was simply too heavy, too maudlin, and too filled with bone-crushing, mind-boggling demise to make me forget we're supposed to smile and laugh at the minor incidentals that occur between massive overload angst scenes.

I'm sure if I go back and watch some of So Ji sup's earlier work I'd remember what it's REALLY like to get sucked into a dark, dismal time warp of animosity-laden comeuppance, but who has the time?

The Soundtrack was wonderful, but like all good (and some bad) K-Dramas, they tend to over-play that one tune to drive me batty.

Not this time.

Even after 18 episodes, I still like that main tune and the lovely ballad used to anchor the plot.

Hye ri as Geu rin (Answer Me, 1988) starred as well and did a good job even if (SPOILER ALERT) nothing ever became of the hinted at romance between her and Suk ho.

Adam's Apple or Goiter?

A few entertainment websites list this as a Romance, but it isn't, sad to say.

The boys start out liking the girls, but there is zero romance involved with any of the actors' characters.

None.

This is about a band of misfits hooked up with a misfit Agent who all go through their share of agony before finally reaching the pinnacle of success.

Mostly, it's about Suk ho's triumphant rise from the proverbial Phoenix ashes to become a much better man than he had been before falling from grace and then forcing himself to start all over again.

E's ratings didn't do so well over there, and I'm not sure why, but the story did have as much melodramatic sap as it did tear-jerking agony, and a fair amount of WTF thrown into the fire.

Too much unfairness, too much struggle, a lot of far-fetched business shenanigans, and not enough roll-in-the-hay romance to justify giving this one any more than it deserves.

Still a good and ENTERTAINER(ing) watch, though.

I personally adore Ji sung and think he's beautiful -- yes, beautiful. Not handsome but beautiful in a very manly sort of way.

Ji Sung in Entertainer

He's a pretty, manly man.

A bit over-the-top in the acting skills area, but it wasn't bad enough to make me cringe or roll my eyes or want to tune out.

He's a pretty, spastic manly man.

And, the subs were fair enough to read but still stupid enough to want to screen capture for your viewing pleasure.

THE DUMB STUFF

Perhaps I should 'REFRAIN myself' from wanting to capture stupid translation errors.

But, this next one can't be helped.

It occurs far more frequently than it should, and I felt obliged to add a visual aid so that those who like to use the incorrectly uttered phrase below will learn from the mistake by actually seeing what it is they're saying.