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Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Korean Invasion
By Lady Ochel Espinosa
IT'S almost nine o'clock in the evening. You make sure that the coast is clear, locking the door to your room just in case anyone barges in uninvited. You have your popcorn fresh from the microwave, and your soda floating on ice. You turn on the television, adjusting the volume, almost in mute mode so that it wouldn't make any sound that would give away any indication of what you're watching. If anyone finds out, you're bound to run the risk of being laughed at or even worse, scorned.
Okay, admit it-you love watching koreanovelas. Addicted, to say the least. But you hate to own up to the reason why you just have to get home before nine -with or without a curfew. It may be an odd choice for a guilty pleasure but there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. Don't worry, almost everyone has the same problem as you do. We are all victims of this phenomenon. The best thing we could do is to come clean.
Fresh start
Ten years ago, there were many soap operas coming from Mexico. Mexican singer Thalia came to the country for her concert, and Filipinos eventually became an extension of the Latin American region, their television sets, to say the least. Marimar was a household name. Babies were named after different characters portrayed in these soap operas. Dogs were blatantly named Pulgoso. Then, just a few years ago, this country was invaded by Chinese or then again, Taiwanese soap operas which started the craze of Meteor Garden cum F4. Filipinos suddenly wanted to be Chinese, memorized Fukien and Mandarin lyrics, and wanted to be Mrs. Jerry Yan or in the shoes of San Chai. Today, we do not only see them around learning English in the Philippines, Koreans have also invaded daytime and primetime television through Korean novelas or soap operas from their beloved non-communist South Korea.
What is it about these Korean novelas that we just can't resist? Perhaps it's the presentation of an apparently formulaic plot; but its different way of approach gives it an exceptional edge. Perhaps it's the undeniably good-looking lead characters that have an immense appeal, which makes everybody, young and young at heart alike, swoon and send shiver through the spine. Or then again, it could be both.
In order to understand this unexplainable obsession towards watching something we're not quite accustomed to, we need to compare it with our own TV series. The most appropriate description we know of our "teleseryes" or "telenovelas" is the idea that if you've seen one, you've seen them all. In other words, they're all the same. The stories are replete with clichés that we've seen in almost all of the other series. It's the same old poor-girl-meets-rich-boy story. If a new series comes on and it begins with this scenario, you can bet your lucky stars that the ending is as predictable as the previous ones you've watched. In the middle of the story both of the characters cum lovers will discover that they're actually siblings separated at birth. Then the story takes another turn where their mother's secret love affair with another man is revealed. Thus the lovers cum siblings cum lovers end up living happily ever after. These series lasts just as long. You can literally watch the characters grow old. What's even more amusing are the ending scenes of each episode where the characters pose like statues in front of the camera, tears rolling quietly down their cheeks.
And just when you pledged not to religiously follow another "teleserye" or "telenovela" a new and more entertaining type of TV series comes along. And this time they came all the way imported from Korea.
Viva Korea!
If there was one koreanovela that started it all, perhaps it was the Endless Love series. It's has a very novel concept of portraying the different stories of individuals that happened in three seasons of the year. It begins with the first story "Autumn in my Heart," starring the very lovely Song Hae Gyo (Jenny), Song Seung Hun (Johnny) and of course, the dashing debonair Won Bin (Andrew). It's the story about two baby girls who are mistakenly given to the wrong set of parents at the hospital after their birth. Yes, you guessed it. One is given to a cruel, poor family while the other one, Jenny, is given to a relatively wealthy and happy family. Jenny grows up to be a very good-natured girl. With her brother Johnny always on her back, it seems as though her life can never be more perfect. But one accident changes it all. They discover the truth behind the mix-up. They have no choice but to bring the right girl to the right family. Johnny's family migrates to the US and when they came back, a twist of fate happens as Johnny realizes that his love for Jenny transcends more than a brother-sister relationship.
Endless Love One instantly became a hit among every Filipino karinderia, sari-sari store and household. If there's one thing that Filipinos are suckers for, it's a TV series that can make their tears fall at every dramatic scene. That's why when the subsequent series flooded the TV screens one after the other, Filipinos immediately got hooked.
With "Autumn in my Heart" under the wraps, the audience craved for more. So came "Winter Sonata," a story of the joys and pains of first love. It's a typical story of two people who met in high school. Koreanovelas just love driving their audiences crazy with anticipation. The lead male character is thought to have died in an accident. Then he comes back a totally different person, who had amnesia, just when his true love is about to get married. Of course, they won't realize his true identity until the end. Sounds corny, cheesy, sappy and predictable, but it works. After "Winter Sonata," the last of the three series was shown, this time with a summer love story.
The Endless Love series' thematic way of story-telling is just like reading one of those romantic novels that can be read in one sitting. It can be so engrossing that you can't put it down until the last pages. And when you get to finish the series, you're wondering why you even read it in the first place. The same goes with koreanovelas, you enjoy them as you stay glued to every single episode---even though it may not exactly mean anything profound after watching the whole thing. It's pure entertainment. Plus the Korean producers of these series don't seem to mind be limited by a tight budget. Everything from the cinematography to the setting is filmed beautifully and creatively. That's why everyone just can't take their eyes off the screen when these series come on. Unlike, Mara Clara or Mula sa Puso, they don't last years, they don't have new characters who die after a couple of episodes. Koreanovelas stick to what they have started and close the curtains just in time.
All the koreanovelas that have come and gone certainly would not be complete without the recently concluded nationwide phenomenon, Lovers in Paris. Honestly, this was the very first koreanovela I watched religiously. My purpose? Just to see the sights of my most adored city. This series revolutionized television's conventional way of story-telling not only in Korea itself but also here in the country. And it's set in Paris, no less!
We followed the unforgettable story of Vivian, Carlo and Martin without batting an eyelash. Vivian is an outgoing, clumsy girl who, by chance bumps into two equally remarkable guys who happen to be related to each other. Carlo is the "silent killer" type, the smart, bad-tempered guy who always looks regal in his suit-and-tie get-ups. On the other hand, Martin is the "rebel without a cause" bad boy, who goes around Paris in his beat up motorcycle, and whose expertise in paying the drums makes him even more charismatic. The funny love triangle is tangled up when the two guys work on their individual charms to win the girl. Vivian is very funny especially with the way her lips move when she's baffled or angry. "Lovers in Paris" sends the audiences laughing in their seats since it replaces the common dramatic scenes of past koreanovelas with light-hearted banters and jokes. Aja!
The characters may not be as good-looking, as those in other koreanovelas but they are the most endearing people we've ever watched, to the extent that we even consider them as our close friends. We wanted to get to know the real people behind their characters. We read about them. We watched their exclusive interviews. We exert effort in browsing the internet for juicy information. That's why it had to be replayed once again to relieve the wonderful moments of the lovers who met and loved each other in the romantic backdrop of the dreamlike streets of Paris.
The more recent koreanovelas aired were Stairway to Heaven and Save the Last Dance, both battling for ratings shown in separate TV networks. Save the Last Dance is quite similar to "Winter Sonata" since it deals with the story of a man (Adrian) who is thought to be dead but, as it turns out, only had amnesia (which makes you wonder why Koreans have a fascination with amnesia, considering the scientific fact that it lasts for only a maximum of two weeks). Adrian comes from an illustrious family and is engaged to be married. No need to spill all the details; we all know the story of how he had amnesia. Conflict arises as he meets Sandy, a funny and charming girl who captures his heart. Apart from its hackneyed premise, this TV series is very entertaining. There is a balance between the funny and dramatic scenes. Audiences won't be able to guess what's going to happen next as it misleads them into several twists.
On the other side of the fence, Stairway to Heaven is pure drama, depicting the tale of childhood sweethearts separated by unfortunate circumstances. And yes, the female lead character (Jodie) suffers from amnesia-yet again! But fortuitous situations bring Jodie and Cholo back together. With his dashing qualities that can launch a thousand ships, Cholo does everything he can to make Jodie remember her past and return to the family where she truly belongs. The precious moments they shared together slowly comes to her memory until she realizes that it's too late. Audiences will surely love the cat and mouse chase. And it doesn't hurt that Cholo is so far the best looking debonair to ever grace Asian TV.
Household names
Now, you have Princess Lulu to wish for in a lifestyle, or Forbidden Love with a fantaserye theme. We have Jewel in the Palace with the palate for taste, or My Name is Kim Sam Soon for desert.Perhaps, The Wedding can give you tips. Then again, you may learn from the mistakes of a Wonderful Life or the First Love of a Royal Prince. More and more of these television series are to come, and they will be the stories, we will all have in common to discuss.
Koreanovelas have become a part of Filipinos' lives. We have grown to love them the same way we love our own local TV series. Both are equally entertaining as they make Filipinos dream about love and life. The only difference is that koreanovelas give us a glimpse of their fascinating culture. As long as they're here to stay, Filipinos will keep on supporting these series. Never mind the tried and tested, cliché stories or the dubbed voices that never coincide with the mouthing of words. As the famous line goes, Aja!
(April 26, 2006 issue)
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