Playful Kiss

Annyeong!

Here’s a throwback review of a successful afternoon Koreanovela in the Philippines in 2011.

The story centers around the romance between Baek Seung-jo, a hugely popular and intelligent boy from class A in high school and Oh Ha-ni, a clumsy, not so bright girl from class F. It’s about that unrequited love and how it was reciprocated by the beloved one.

Writing about Playful Kiss evokes nostalgic memories of my high school days, back to the time when I was just starting to seriously pay attention to Korean dramas. I can vaguely recall all the scenes, but the feeling I felt while watching this years ago is still clear on my mind. And how could I forget some of the songs from their ost? I believe these sweet, cute songs are vital for the drama to have that sentimental attachment with the viewers. Though I have to admit that the ost from the Taiwanese version (It started With A Kiss) sounds slightly better for me.

The plot is easy to follow because it only has few major twists that complicate the flow of events. I see that it focused on Ha-ni chasing Seung-jo endlessly until he can finally give back her love. Unlike other dramas, there seems to be no antagonist here, the wicked and hateful one. Well, Yoon Hae-ra, the girl who is equally smart and sporty as Seung-jo and happens to have romantic feelings for him, is a bit annoying but still harmless. Her character’s not evil enough to cause a big hindrance to the love story.

The storyline is quite simple, and there is lack of surprising twists and turns, but the romantic side of me believes that Ha-ni made up for it. It is still (and definitely) really fun to watch.

The message it instills in the audience vary depending on the viewer’s perception. Others may think that patience and determination can help a person attain his/her wants and goals in life (just like what Ha-ni did). Will not disagree on that. But others may also think that the lead female character’s foolishness and being numb and blinded by love can leave her with a little pride and a bleeding heart in the end... and who wants that?

For me, I do think that it was slightly exaggerated. Ha-ni looks desperate trying to win Seung-jo’s heart. Stalker mode ON. Her perseverance and willingness to endure all the embarassment that she could get from this one-sided love could be inspiring, but she should also set a limit and know when to pursue or to surrender. Meanwhile, Seung-jo is just too cold and his rudeness to Ha-ni should not be tolerated.

Still, my heart goes out to Ha-ni every time she is being ignored by Seung-jo. It’s painful to watch all her efforts being disregarded. We know that all she ever wanted was to be with him and get even a little bit of appreciation. But... wait and see until the denial stage is over. Here comes the fruit of her labor. J

Things got better and better when Seung-jo finally stopped suppressing his growing feelings for Ha-ni . It’s a renewed hope for Ha-ni, and a relief for us viewers. Even though he is struggling to admit it to himself, his feelings can’t be hidden forever. Awww, so touching to see him upset over the possibility of Ha-ni finding love with another guy. He’s jealous and that sudden and striking realization hit him hard.

Also, he almost blew me away with his secret smiles. This Robot boy sure knows how to fascinate us with the way he responds to his developing attraction to Ha-ni. Annoyingly cute lol J

Kim Hyun-joong and Jung So-min did a decent job in portraying the lead roles. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t outstanding either. Anyway, it’s entertaining so I easily carried along with the drama.

I’d also like to mention Seung-jo/Ha-ni’s #1 fan, the ever supportive mom (Hwang Geum-hee, Seung-jo’s mother). Thanks to our matchmaker who is more than willing to help Han-ni to win her son’s heart. Her character surely adds to the humour of the drama.

Seung-jo's parents and Ha-ni's father

The drama is not extremely cheesy, because Seung-jo is not the mushy type of guy and it took some time for him to show his feelings for Ha-ni. But it still managed to give me a fluttery feeling. It’s funny, sad, annoying and romantic at the same time.

If you’re into light rom-coms, this is worth giving a try. J J J

*Photos used are not mine. All credit goes to their rightful owners*