This Korean romantic comedy a.k.a. Playful Kiss is recently added to Netflix. I've watched it, because of the male lead who played in my favorite series Boys over Flowers. I thought this would be a sweet story about a serious guy who melts thanks to a warm-hearted girl. In stead I watched an arrogant boy and commitment fobic to that, conquering each and everyone including the girl. They should have called this series: The Perks of Being Perfect.
Playful Kiss begins like many Japanese/Korean romantic comedies: introducing the leading man as the hottest guy in school. School girls are fan girling behind his back, teachers are drooling over his high test results, some girls are mean to his supposed love interest, the unfortunate girl gets support from another guy who's secretly in love with her. The male superstar appears to be blatantly blind to all this. He prefers to live like a recluse, because deep down he seems to be a nice guy who is embarrassed by all this. Or..he is simply an arrogant,cynic jerk, think of Jane Austen's Mr.Darcy, before he was transformed by his lovely Elizabeth. We, the viewers, are supposed to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Usually I'm a big fan of these Asian versions of Pride and Prejudice. Also in this TV show I recognize some elements: a feisty girl, with lots of laughs and friends, is infatuated with a humorless Mr. Perfect at first sight. He wounds her pride, when the whole world is watching. She tries to forget him, aided by other admirers who would love to have a date with her, but she can't. Au contraire, her love grows stronger each year. The subject of her love is aware of all this, but he stays aloof, thinking he's the best match anyway.
The fact that I didn't like this story as much as I wanted to, is probably my assumption that Mr. Perfect would become more humble in the end. I thought he would become a better version of his former self, starting to be a lovable person from now on. All I could see was a perfectionist, who claims the purest love available, using it to reinforce his own ambitions, namely being the best in a working field he starts to feel a passion for.
All in all I give Playful Kiss a 7 out of 10, because the actors are well matched, and almost the whole cast is doing a great job.
Playful Kiss begins like many Japanese/Korean romantic comedies: introducing the leading man as the hottest guy in school. School girls are fan girling behind his back, teachers are drooling over his high test results, some girls are mean to his supposed love interest, the unfortunate girl gets support from another guy who's secretly in love with her. The male superstar appears to be blatantly blind to all this. He prefers to live like a recluse, because deep down he seems to be a nice guy who is embarrassed by all this. Or..he is simply an arrogant,cynic jerk, think of Jane Austen's Mr.Darcy, before he was transformed by his lovely Elizabeth. We, the viewers, are supposed to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Usually I'm a big fan of these Asian versions of Pride and Prejudice. Also in this TV show I recognize some elements: a feisty girl, with lots of laughs and friends, is infatuated with a humorless Mr. Perfect at first sight. He wounds her pride, when the whole world is watching. She tries to forget him, aided by other admirers who would love to have a date with her, but she can't. Au contraire, her love grows stronger each year. The subject of her love is aware of all this, but he stays aloof, thinking he's the best match anyway.
The fact that I didn't like this story as much as I wanted to, is probably my assumption that Mr. Perfect would become more humble in the end. I thought he would become a better version of his former self, starting to be a lovable person from now on. All I could see was a perfectionist, who claims the purest love available, using it to reinforce his own ambitions, namely being the best in a working field he starts to feel a passion for.
All in all I give Playful Kiss a 7 out of 10, because the actors are well matched, and almost the whole cast is doing a great job.