Alone in Love - DVD Review
Son Ye Jin & Fam Woo Seong in Sophisticated Korean Television Drama
Apr 4, 2008
Distinctly different than most current Korean dramas being produced today, Alone in Love has more in common with an art film than it does regular primetime viewing.
Based on the Japanese novel, Lee Dong-Jin (Kam Woo-Seong), a bookstore manager and Yu Eun-ho (Son Ye Jin), a fitness trainer divorce after the death of their son but continue to meet up and be a part of each other's lives. Along with Dong-Jin's best friend, Dr. Gong Joon-Pyo (Gong Hyung-Jin) and Eun-ho's younger sister, student Yu Ji-Ho (Lee Ha Na), the four of them still frequent the same cafes, pubs, and karaoke bars, bickering, eating and getting drunk together. After one dares the other to play matchmaker, things start to get complicated as they both start dating the people they've introduced the other to.
On the surface, it may come across as a really mundane premise, but the selling point of the entire drama is that all the conflicts are internal - as opposed to many external forces at work within the typical Korean drama. It's refreshing to be able to watch such a mature and sophisticated drama where characters aren't yelling or whining or being irritating or annoying as part of their 'charm'. In fact, Alone in Love, is the most realistic drama of all Korean dramas screened in awhile.
Because of the realistic execution and portrayal of everyday life, the weight of the drama rested mostly on the performance of its actors. Movie stars Son Ye Jin and Gam Woo Seong, at first seem like an unlikely pairing, but manage to pull out convincing performances of a couple who both loved and hurt each other and yet still cling to one another for support. Comedic actor Gong Hyung Jin and newcomer Lee Ha Na initially seem like the buddy sidekick roles/ comic relief, get a decent amount of character development and their own budding romance storyline.
While it is considered a melodrama, there are many comedic elements subtly spread throughout the series. They are neither over the top, nor distracting to the main purpose of the scene but rather a showcase of how reality is filled with both tragedy and laughter at the same time.
YA Entertainment releases the series on Anamorphic Widescreen presentation with their usual high quality English subtitles. Special Features clock in at almost 4 hours of interviews with cast and crew and behind the scenes footage. The interviews are conducted in such great detail and care that it is apparent that everyone involved made every effort not to reduce them to caricatures.
For anyone who enjoys dramas that are mature and sophisticated that are neither gritty nor cute, Alone in Love is highly recommended.
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