For those following the Kdrama universe, you must have heard of, if not participated in, the ‘drama’ outside of the drama, My Fair Lady. And I? Well, you can say I’ve had my fair share of bump-ins with the fans – rare, since I usually ignore such wars, and pick my battles even if an invasion was evident.
So what is causing such a ruckus in the universe of Kdrama? A few premises first. Yoon Eun Hye’s dramas are fanatically popular – and I’ve seen all to date; Largely because she impressed me early on and haven’t faltered far from my expectations. As YEH’s comeback after 2 years, you can say I was expecting…a contingency from where she left off - if not an improvement. Add the addition of Jung Il Woo, who showed much maturity and perseverance in his role of Iljimae, the likeability of Yoon Sang Hyun’s portrayals, and the much talked about acting capability of Moon Chae Won…you can go as far as say I was thrilled about this drama.
Blame it on the high profile participations, glorified promotions, the intolerance of netizens, the downtrodden economy, or whatever it may be…but the participants of this drama, especially it’s leading lady, YEH, is getting much heat over what may seem to some, as completely unfair and unjustified. Unfair, it may be, but unjustified…it is not.
1) Expectation: Expectations for this drama were high, even with the stigma of ‘romantic comedy’ attached. It’s largely due to the success, in quality and/or popularity, of the four leading actors’ ‘still-fresh’ previous works, including Coffee Prince, Return of Iljimae, Queen of Housewives, and Brilliant Legacy. Somewhat like when a team of athletes have obtained bronze, silver, and gold medals, in the last few years, and more than once, you have certain expectations that they’ll stay on the podium. In addition, it’s a trendy rom-com, regardless of scripting/directing, its well-received actors should make it easily approachable. (I’ll make a small stab at BOF here.)
2) Intrigue: With the exception of YEH, the other leads have not been widely known for, nor even participated in, rom-com works. Many are unsure of how these actors will do on a genre they’ve not specialized in. As for leading lady, YEH – it’s been 2 years, and like any artist who’s been gone for some time, you’re wondering what time and experience, maybe unbeknownst to you, has done to shape this artist. It all adds to the unknown, mystique, and the intrigue of this drama.
3) Focus: There is much media spotlight and focus, particularly in Kdrama cyberspace due to the above mentioned points, but also because the majority of the ones online and spreading the hype, are in the age brackets to watch this type of show (Lols, as if you all didn’t know). Add that to glorified media reports, plethora of promotions, expectations, intrigue, and you now have a lot of people, who may not originally have a particular liking to the actors or drama content, pay attention.
Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the drama, along with it’s leading actress is facing a mountain of criticism. Why? Well, when people are let down, angry, frustrated, or harbor any negative emotion, they reflexively narrow down on one, or a few, targets, and release it, usually out of proportion. It’s also the easiest to focus on the ‘biggest’ or most prominent target – similarly to how the world’s financial crisis is “all America’s fault,” though Europe and Asia also contributed to the financial speculation. So the next question is why are viewers/netizens let down?
It’s not one thing that seems lackluster about the drama, it’s actually several factors that add to a general sense of “something is missing” in My Fair Lady. Those paying attention to this drama because of the hype, and not tied to a particular interest group to give allowances, are plentiful...younger, more passionate, and outspoken. So if these relatively objective (not part of a fandom) viewers see something they don’t like, or feel disappointed, they are going to voice it. And herein lies the problem. ‘Objective’ viewers reflexively try to pin-point their sense of disappointment (on YEH here) in order to validate their opinions. This in turn offends ‘subjective’ viewers to defend their idols or ideas…the nit-picking of comments/opinions go back and forth, assumptions are irrationally made, and before you know it, a war has broken out. Like a hound smelling blood in the air, the media further extorts and sensationalizes the situation, which then is further exacerbated by netizens. It’s a vicious cycle.
Personal Views: It’s true, I am disappointed with the drama – though as time goes by I’m growing somewhat attached, like anything else in life with time. I was expecting YEH to ka-boom me with her chemistry, like she’s always been able to do with her male co-stars, if not her portrayal of the character. Because…I believed in her; in her innate perceptiveness as an actress, her onscreen charm, her willingness to succeed. I felt let down. Add some unnatural, and/or over-the-top portrayals, ineffective directing, hapzard scripting to the mix, and it was disappointment all around. I was depressed; sad, to see great, harboring-such-potential actors, not have it work out. So I’ve latched onto positive remnants of the drama, including Wang Seok Hyun and Moon Chae Won.
Having witnessed a few cyber wars, I can truly say I understand how both sides feel, even if I may not agree with some positions. However, coming from a person who truly liked YEH, not just for her works, but also her down-to-earth, charming personality, I was quite disappointed with some of her fans. I don’t think I, nor some others, were extreme in criticism, or tried to target disappointment on one person. Yet, we must have been caught in the battle-rage of this war for her fans to lash out at our comments – to which I can understand. In a war, when there have been attacks from the ‘enemy’ – even a shadow that resembles the ‘enemy’ will be terminated, so as to prevent possible loss. Being completely honest, I now feel, though it may be shallow to feel so, and against my rational mentality, somewhat detached from YEH. If it had only been her lackluster performance, I would have gotten over it easily enough, offering reasons such as “she’s been out of practice,” “her co-stars don’t help spark her acting chemistry,” and the like; But to add insult to injury from fans – it has impacted my personal attachment to the actress. I can only hazard a guess that if I, who harbors such like and respect for her and is usually of a more rational mentality, were to feel this way, how would others who took greater offense, feel towards the actress?
This is why I feel utterly sympathetic to YEH, as an actress and as a person. Not only is she being criticized from all sides, sometimes overly harsh, for her acting capabilities, but now some of her fans are further aggravating the situation and driving others to have negative associations with YEH, as an individual. Everything has a positive and negative connotation - supporters can be your source of inspiration, but they can also be your source of frustration. I’ve seen this happen, time and time again in my decade long viewing of Asian entertainment. However, this time, it hit a little closer to home.
The God Motha
