Uncontrollably Fond #review

함부로 애틋하게  /  Hambooro Aeteuthage

Writer -  Lee Kyoung hee
Genre -  Romance, Melodrama
Network -  KBS2
Episodes -  20
Released -  Jul - Sept, 2016

CAST

PLOT

Shin Joon young is an intelligent and attractive actor and singer. No Eul is a Documentaries PD who values money over justice and kisses up to those with more power than her.

REVIEW

The No Rating is no joke.

Finished watching last night and still don't know what to do with this drama today !

I've come this close to being at a complete loss before yet always managed to pull through, but not this time.

This time, I am torn between giving it a bad review and low rating and giving it a favorable review with a low rating.

Either way, it is likely that I don't want to low-rate this one despite its being completely deserving, and for a number of reasons.

It had no plot.

It left me so empty inside that I didn't know what to do or how to feel when it finally ended.

There was no romance.

None.

There were no happy or relieving moments in all 20 episodes.

None.

It is obvious (now) that my only interest in Uncontrollably Fond was that it starred Kim Woo bin, whom I am always anxious and happy to see grace a screen for any amount of time.

As I suffered in this confusing dilemma, I thought about getting rid of my star ratings system and using words or emotion to rate future dramas.

I'm also still working on the creation of a Vlog, but both are immaterial to this post.

So, let's do this instead.

The HEA -  

Because it didn't occur, but what turned out to be a shocker was my inability to shed a single tear throughout Episodes 19-20.

The Eye Candy - 

Because it starred Kim Woo bin.

Actually choked on my fountain Diet Coke when this scene occurred in Episode 4, and then as I had to wipe off the drool, it took awhile more to get my eyes back inside my head.

Please, towel, DO fall down!

Was it Cinderella-ish? No, because both leads stem from lowly backgrounds and then both grew to become self-sufficient; though Joon young made more of himself as a Pop Idol extraordinaire.

The Melo in Melodrama - 

Or, should it be the Drama in Melodrama?

Hard to say because this offered an abundance (overload) of both with hardly any relief effort on the part of the writer or director.

The Cast - 

Because while the story itself proved less than memorable or desirable as a 20-episode watch, the folks attempting to make it great did their best to intrigue me and make me want to root for them.

Which is the major issue, now that I think about it.

I gave up hope of seeing anyone happy after awhile because I knew NOTHING would go right or well for any of the players, which is a huge turn-off in my book.

The characters deserved something yet the writer/director gave them nothing.

The Cliché Factor - 

Brain Tumor, Car/Pedestrian Incidents, Chaebol shenanigans, Dishonesty disguised as Love, Catty Bitch vs Poor Chick, Insurmountable Debt, Orphaned, Getting Pregnant Early is the Devil Incarnate, Wide-Eyed Kissing, Selfish Parents.

Those are all I'm able to recall right now, but believe me there are dozens more.

And, as Fond began to unfold, I started to recall a Japanese drama, Beautiful Life, that starred Kimura Takuya as a carefree hair stylist who meets and falls in love with a wheelchair-bound free spirit.

If you haven't watched it, please do, compare the two, and see which you prefer.

Now for the fun stuff.

Not sure if this was deliberate, but Joon young asked a few questions that I felt compelled to answer.

Yes!

HELL Yes!

Um ...

I ask Myself that Same Thing almost Daily, Darling

He also liked talking to himself, ABOUT himself.

Affirmative

I wouldn't use the word Shabby to describe what you see in the Mirror

Which brings me to an eerie Korean Drama conundrum that occurs in most every drama or movie about a 'star'.

I just find it disturbing and creepy to be surrounded by a lot of artwork that centers solely on 'self'

Kind of like living in a house of mirrors, isn't it?

Everywhere you turn, no matter where you look, there you are, staring back at yourself.

Eating, cooking, relaxing on the sofa in front of the TV, taking a piss, and trying to get a good nights' sleep.

I don't get it and don't want to believe that the real stars of these dramas actually do surround themselves with . . . themselves.

And, yes, I am fully aware of the fact that a majority of the artwork comes from their adoring fans -- but not all of it, and certainly not the photography!

Second Lead Syndrome - 

String bean wasn't a bad second and he wasn't the greatest, either.

Im Ju hwan

It never worried me that No Eul would want him more than she would want Joon young.

But, he did play an interesting character with just as many flaws as anyone beneath his station in life.

Which brings me to the 'running theme' that I failed to capture on screen but need to mention in this post.

"Someone Like You"

Great Van Morrison tune, btw




But, for the purpose of the drama, it was meant to imply status, and that just made me laugh.

Anymore, it runs along the same lines as racism to include racist remarks like "Those People" and "Minorities"

The Star-Crossed Lovers - 

Pretty sure all but the last two are large enough to use as background wallpaper (at your disposal).

I liked them together.

I just didn't like the situation(s) the writer/director forced on them to make this such a dry, lifeless story and a major let-down.

And, maybe I'm wrong to want to watch a story that unfolds naturally and with a tad more realism than I'm always forced to have to endure instead.

Does anyone else yearn for a 'true' romance story to occur between their two favorite stars?

Boy meets girl, sparks fly (or not), they slowly get to know one another better when a few life curve balls come their way to liven up the plot (true romance), they work through the issues and end up in bed together.

The End.

And by romance, I mean bells & whistles, hearts & flowers, chivalry on his part, honest (soulful) affection on hers, LOTS of touchy-feely to cement their inner emotions, and mature resolve in the face of adversity in order for us, the viewer, to feel good (and justified) about rooting for them to survive.

If this had been written by me, I'd have had No Eul get pregnant as a legacy token of her TRUE LOVE for Joon young.

Loved this guy's hair!

Jung Soo kyo

And the pretty baby boy wasn't all bad, just way too baby boy for my taste.

Lee Seo won

So, that about sums up my opinion of  Uncontrollably Fond.

Better Luck Next Time, sir Kim Woo bin!

Here are a few more images (which, too, are likely to be large enough to use as a BG).