Coffee Prince Number One Shop (MBC, 2007)

Discuss Korean drama series here.
eirammm
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Post by eirammm » Aug 27th, '07, 00:32

nophankh wrote:Guys, preview of ep. 17 has been released.

here's the short preview

download hq of short preview
http://swf.imbc.com/broad/tv/drama/coff ... w_last.swf
the morning after is so cute, you just want to melt with happiness.
Image
waaaaay too excited to see the finale.... GOSHIE GOSHIE GOSHIE!!!:)

belleza
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Post by belleza » Aug 27th, '07, 05:50

For starters, it's yet to break the 30% in ratings (although it might for the last episode). That shows that even though it's popular, it's not that popular. Kim Sam Soon, for example, broke 30% by its fourth episode and 50% by it's last one.

I've definitely enjoyed some parts of it but for me, it's not even the best drama of 2007.
Yeah, I think that's a fair call. Coffee Prince is MBC's best performing show, but SBC had two shows (My Man's Woman, Money's Warfare) that scored much higher ratings. Warfare even averaged 30+ ratings. Wow.

I have right now Coffee Prince as my 2nd or 3rd favorite MBC drama this year. I've just been happy with the overall quality of K-dramas (Devil, Capital Scandal on KBS too) this year, and I haven't really started on the SBS roster yet.

bent
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Post by bent » Aug 27th, '07, 06:40

is there a NG special ep or Behind the scenes ep available on d-addicts?

physics223
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Post by physics223 » Aug 27th, '07, 11:56

This show isn't as emotional as say, Winter Sonata, or as vicissitudinous as Full House (I cried buckets -__-), but it possesses the beauty and innocence of a simple and true love that I haven't seen in many series. I love its purity, and I love this show. :D

It's definitely among the best in this year ... now to watch Money's Warfare ^_^

deb1430
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Post by deb1430 » Aug 27th, '07, 17:56

It actually has reached the 30% mark but not nationwide. It has reached the 30% + mark in Seoul, hopefully todays episode will finally make them hit 30% nationwide.

I dont think it's bad ratings considering it's a romantic comedy


Here are the ratings Nationwide-Seoul

Ep 1 (July 02): Nationwide - 14.4% (#7) // Seoul - 15.5% (#7)
Ep 2 (July 03): Nationwide - 15.9% (#7) // Seoul - 18.1% (#5)
Ep 3 (July 09): Nationwide - 18.1% (#6) // Seoul - 18.6% (#5)
Ep 4 (July 10): Nationwide - 19.0% (#4) // Seoul - 19.8% (#4)
Ep 5 (July 16): Nationwide - 19.3% (#3) // Seoul - 20.1% (#2)
Ep 6 (July 17): Nationwide - 23.2% (#2) // Seoul - 23.9% (#2)
Ep 7 (July 23): Nationwide - 25.2% (#2) // Seoul - 25.3% (#2)
Ep 8 (July 24): Nationwide - 26.8% (#2) // Seoul - 28.1% (#2)
Ep 9 (July 30): Nationwide - 25.2% (#2) // Seoul - 26.2% (#2)
Ep 10 (July 31): Nationwide - 25.9% (#2) // Seoul - 27.3% (#2)
Ep 11 (August 6): Nationwide - 28.4% (#2) // Seoul - 30.8% (#1)
Ep 12 (August 7): Nationwide - 29.9% (#2) // Seoul - 31.4% (#2)
Ep 13 (August 13): Nationwide - 29.3% (#2) // Seoul - 32.1% (#2)
Ep 14 (August 14): Nationwide - 28.1% (#2) // Seoul - 30.5% (#2)
Ep 15 (August 20): Nationwide - 27.1% (#2) // Seoul - 29.0% (#2)
Ep 16 (August 21): Nationwide - 28.5% (#2) // Seoul - 30.8% (#1)

deb1430
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Post by deb1430 » Aug 27th, '07, 23:36

The ratings for the last episode not reaching 30% viewership was probably due to last weeks episode. There was a report http://www.tvreport.co.kr/ArticleShellV ... 0708220005 parents thought it was quite inapporpriate that the staff didn't consider it's viewers because the drama is mostly watched by teens.
Some felt uncomfortable watching the ending scene which implied sex, with their kids. They added that, the fact that the couple werent married yet and sex before marriage was seemingly carried on without a second thought as though it was ok to do it. People are speculating that due to last weeks complaints, parents did not give permission for their kids to watch the show today.

ratings for Epi.17

Image

voth
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Post by voth » Aug 28th, '07, 01:44

deb1430 wrote:The ratings for the last episode not reaching 30% viewership was probably due to last weeks episode. There was a report http://www.tvreport.co.kr/ArticleShellV ... 0708220005 parents thought it was quite inapporpriate that the staff didn't consider it's viewers because the drama is mostly watched by teens.

Some felt uncomfortable watching the ending scene which implied sex, with their kids. They added that, the fact that the couple werent married yet and sex before marriage was seemingly carried on without a second thought as though it was ok to do it. People are speculating that due to last weeks complaints, parents did not give permission for their kids to watch the show today.
I'm sorry, but is that a joke? I mean with the number of love hotels in and around most major cities (in Korea) you actually believe that they are only for married couples?

While I respect korean customs the simple thought of them being upset with this episode is silly. They must have been raving mad when "The King and the Clown" was released...where was this rage when shows/movies like "Autumn in My Heart", "Jeni & Juno", or "Romance" were released?

deb1430
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Post by deb1430 » Aug 28th, '07, 03:27

voth wrote: I'm sorry, but is that a joke? I mean with the number of love hotels in and around most major cities (in Korea) you actually believe that they are only for married couples?

While I respect korean customs the simple thought of them being upset with this episode is silly. They must have been raving mad when "The King and the Clown" was released...where was this rage when shows/movies like "Autumn in My Heart", "Jeni & Juno", or "Romance" were released?
First of all, why do i get the feeling that I'm being blamed for what's written on that translated article?
That is not my belief! T
hat is what the article said, I just posted it here.

When i first saw the uproar regarding last weeks episode, I rolled my eyes just as much as you did, cause I personally have no problem with episode 16 and couldn't believe the drama that last scene was causing in Korea news.

nophankh
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Post by nophankh » Aug 28th, '07, 04:01

deb1430 wrote:
voth wrote: I'm sorry, but is that a joke? I mean with the number of love hotels in and around most major cities (in Korea) you actually believe that they are only for married couples?

While I respect korean customs the simple thought of them being upset with this episode is silly. They must have been raving mad when "The King and the Clown" was released...where was this rage when shows/movies like "Autumn in My Heart", "Jeni & Juno", or "Romance" were released?
First of all, why do i get the feeling that I'm being blamed for what's written on that translated article?
That is not my belief! T
hat is what the article said, I just posted it here.

When i first saw the uproar regarding last weeks episode, I rolled my eyes just as much as you did, cause I personally have no problem with episode 16 and couldn't believe the drama that last scene was causing in Korea news.
Okay kids, lets stop the fighting. It doesn't matter. Just comment about CP and why you like it or hate it. I think when watching a drama, you shouldn't focus on the ratings or the news article related to the show. It's a drama, just enjoy people.

physics223
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Post by physics223 » Aug 28th, '07, 04:39

This show is awesome. I don't give a damn if it has to break 30% in the ratings.

Oh man, I am so addicted with Korean drama ... it scares me ... it really, really scares me. I don't sleep at all anymore. WTF.

angie_22
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Post by angie_22 » Aug 28th, '07, 05:12

I'M SO SAD :-( TWO MORE EPS AND IT'S OVE :-( BUT IT'S GREAT SO FAR :-) ALL HALE CP :salut: LOL ^^

angie_22
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Post by angie_22 » Aug 28th, '07, 05:14

I'M SO SAD :-( TWO MORE EPS AND IT'S OVE :-( BUT IT'S GREAT SO FAR :-) ALL HALE CP :salut: LOL ^^

Yorokobi
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Post by Yorokobi » Aug 28th, '07, 07:04

I just watched up to episode 15 with subs yay!
ah i love this drama so much i cant wait for more subs thanks so much to the subbing team
I really liked the scene in episode 13 or 14 cant remeber where the two couples get together for dinner. I loved the interaction between the 4 characters it was great.

kat_licup
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Post by kat_licup » Aug 28th, '07, 08:54

Based on what deb1430 said, it's so sad that many still think it's taboo to talk about THAT aspect of love. Maybe that's why I liked the drama so much, because it is honest and raw (although there are some parts that are just to cute to be true).

Also, I like Coffee Prince because it's not the generic melodrama that Korean Dramas always have. It shows love for what it is COMPLICATED. :)

belleza
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Post by belleza » Aug 28th, '07, 11:22

Based on what deb1430 said, it's so sad that many still think it's taboo to talk about THAT aspect of love.
Mmm. . . it depends. Weekend dramas and cable shows tend to be much saucier, but both are targetted for the 30+. Coffee Prince has a wide target, from teens to 20-something, and its depiction of the physical/sensual side of romance is unusually intimate for a romantic comedy.

Another thing is, like American TV, long-awaited consummation scenes are intended to drum up media. What may be "controversial" may be intentional PR to drum up ratings. In any case, it's doubtful it would have significantly affected the ratings of this show. CP's main storyline effectivelly "ended" with Episode 12, and it had pretty much levelled out in ratings then. Also, I'd imagine CP's ratings are partially blunted by wide viewership over the Internet, since a great deal of the fans are teens-to-20s.

Honestly, I think there was more genuine controversy over Thank You's HIV storyline at the beginning.

Thoughts on Episode 14 . . .

1) The dinner scene doesn't move the story and there's no emotional payoff . . . but that scene is one of the best written, best constructed drama pieces I've seen all year. And, I mean, that scene is pretty close to perfect. It humorously and perceptively summarizes the friendships/relationships these 4 people have with each other -- the bond the two men have and their mutual affection for Eun Chan, the "whoa I'm totally the outsider here" vibe from Eun Chan, the mix of friendly rivalry and somewhat tense fascination the two women have with each other (being that they're so different and yet both men were attracted to both.) The "humor" rehash of old fights as private jokes is

It's not only that, but the interior design was just perfect. The "elegant casual" table setting quietly underlined the affluence and sophistication typical of successful late 20s/early 30s. The way each person sat differently on that table beautifully set up who was looking at who, and the glances the two boys were trading with each other.

Sigh. So good.

2) Although there's not all that much plot in Episode 14, the writing was exquisite. You can sense how the writer just delighted in indulging the support cast with character-exploring, informal but insightful dialogue. And you can sense the delight of the actors, just being allowed to opine on men and women and riff off each other, almost adlibbing the physical comedy. At least to us, they're so comfortable with each other, like real friends who've really gotten to know each other.

3) I think what I miss most are the scenes between Eun Chan and Han Sung. The difference between the two men is that while Han Kyul loves her, Han Sung adores her. Without saying in words, they have the most perfect surrogate father-daughter relationship, he who never dispenses advice when he could listen carefully and thoughtfully, and she who in enjoying the bemused kindness and patient attention feels like a daughter again. It is through Han Sung's eyes that you really see Eun Chan's makeup to be beautiful, one-of-a-kind woman.

4) Eun Chan's sister is delightfully evil. :D

5) I like how Han Kyul and Eun Chan's chemistry is adorable and yet still jarring at the same time. You still keep thinking "whoa, are you SURE she's not a guy?!?" And in that regard, I can see how the grandmum is having such a rough time processing the mental image. Because to ME the mental image still dances all over the gender, where even a simple "piggyback" scene is adorable and yet . . . strange. :D

Episode 15

1) And, see, there's even a few worthy fights that speaks to feminist concepts of chivalry, marraige and money/property. Nice.
The woman proposes to the man and puts the ring on HIS hand?!? You go girlfriend! Ahh, here we have a show where the man gets all weepy. Ah, this show is wonderful!
2) Han Sung is may be the most in-touch-with-his-emotions (and yet still straight!) MAN ever in the history of K-drama. Hyun Bin should study this man, worship this man, and learn to fake that wonderful baritone of his.

3) Good to see YEH flash some of that Goong adorability bits her and there. I'll say this though, cracks in YEH's acting is showing here and there. Some of the emotional terrain that should be there -- Eun Chan's pride over being a "breadwinner" and ambivalence over fulfilling goals as a wife -- isn't really there yet. You kinda see YEH searching for the right feelings/thoughts about a long, long-term relationship, but it's not quite there.
Was that frolic in the bed for real? It was shot in really soft focus, so I wasn't sure whether Han Gyul was remembering the morning or dreaming up his fantasy? If they were that far along in their relationship . . .

Love the sensual, physical acting here. Especially for Asian TV actors, it takes a lot of trust between the two leads to be that way on camera.
4) Not as strong as Episode 14, but the sophistication of the writing and the very realistic perspective on marraige beautifully contrasts the two couples. Kinda puts a cold shower on CP's romantic lightness, though -- now that they're officially together, some of their novelty has worn off. I'm starting to prefer the scenes between Han Sung and Yoo Joo, just because it's rare to see a loving, complex, normal couple accurately played in any TV drama format. And Lee Sun Gyun is such a soulful actor; I had no idea he was this comfortable in his own skin.

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Post by silently_solitude » Aug 28th, '07, 20:54

wow..i really enjoyed your summary of comments on cup 14-15, belleza. THANKS! It made me replay the whole episode inside my head (watching it 4 times a day, duh) . But you're right, there is just something about Coffee Prince that I don't see in other romance dramas. The chemistry and so you called it "trust" between teh actor/actress were tremendously outstanding! It just truelly put a smile on my face in that whole two hours. (except in the ending of ch 15) WHAT WAS THAT YEH!?!?!?!

belleza
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Post by belleza » Aug 28th, '07, 22:30

The thing with Coffee Prince is that both the insight and sensitivity of the writing and Gong Yoo's remarkable touch with his costar beautifully, beautifully illuminates the gender presumptions that goes into basic human interactions.

If you rewatch the show, you look for certain signs -- body language, emotional messages, subtle signifiers -- you'll notice that Gong Yoo is already sending off messages of "Eun Chan is mine!" possessiveness really early in the show. But it's expressed within the patterns of normal male bonding, and so it's not clear when his feelings were romantic, brotherly (as in he's my buddy, not yours!), or "gay." In likelhood, it's all the above. I think, like Episode 3 or 4. There's also a sense with his interpretation of the character that Han Gyul seems to really enjoy the comraderie of male friendship, and that he feels the most emotionally "connected" with other men and "psuedo-men." So, part of Han Gyul's personal discovery is in seriously accepting that (which is something his family has always joked to him about), and then forcing Eun Chan to fit that image once the truth comes out. Or to put it another way, Han Gyul seems "relieved" that he could have a partner whom he can treat like a boy, a girl, a raggamuffin best friend and an intimate lover. Gay, straight, transgender, whatever. He latches onto this personal freedom with his relationship with Eun-chan and that's really obvious in the episodes after 12.

Like I mentioned in the Gong Yoo thread, part of GY's talent is his remarkable sensitivity with his male and female acting partners, to being so good at listening to his acting partners and looking for cues and signals to play off of. (Seriously, watch how he acts off Sung Yu Ri in One Fine Day, the way he is able to find her trademark deadpan so meaningful is really something.) Instead of playing a character brooding over his feelings in silence, he wrestles with the character's emotions by how he reacts off her, things she says and does. And, to a smaller but not insignificant degree, he also does with Chae-Jung Ahn too to give us a baseline of his romantic sensibilities and ideas of loyalty. In other words, he comes across as a kind of moody, a little needy, but overwhelmingly affectionate man around Eun Chan, but around Yoo Joo, he's kind of a younger brother and too painfully aware that she's never really seen him as a man.

With that said, I think YEH's hit the wall with her portrayal with Eun Chan. Her acting is still on the whole stunning, but I think she's having problems locating the emotional space in regards to their post-makeup relationship. It could be fatigue -- cos she really does look tired -- or just fatigue with the role, but she's kinda resting more on Eun Chan's mannerisms to carry the anger. At this point, I just don't feel that there's much more fresh territory to cover with Eun Chan and Han Gyul, and so my attention has really shifted toward Han Sung and Yoo Joo.

It looks like Han Sung has a more active role in the ending episodes, and I'm really loving that. Maybe it's Lee's voice, maybe it's the utter lack of pretention or self-awareness that he delivers his slices of generosity and kindness. His portrayal of the everyman, the fatherly counterpoint to Han Gyul's latent adolescent , who's ready to take the "big step." It's such a winning and again unpretentious performance -- he seems so normal and yet soulful in this part.

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Post by Yorokobi » Aug 29th, '07, 03:03

hey the whole series is finished now right? im just waiting for the subtitles so i wont read any spoilers but can someone please tell me does it have a good ending, just a yes or a no will do fine.

voth
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Post by voth » Aug 29th, '07, 03:06

Yorokobi wrote:hey the whole series is finished now right? im just waiting for the subtitles so i wont read any spoilers but can someone please tell me does it have a good ending, just a yes or a no will do fine.
YES

mega_fanatic
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Post by mega_fanatic » Aug 29th, '07, 04:02

voth wrote:
Yorokobi wrote:hey the whole series is finished now right? im just waiting for the subtitles so i wont read any spoilers but can someone please tell me does it have a good ending, just a yes or a no will do fine.
YES
KYAAAAA now i really want to watch it :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

Yorokobi
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Post by Yorokobi » Aug 29th, '07, 04:07

voth wrote:
Yorokobi wrote:hey the whole series is finished now right? im just waiting for the subtitles so i wont read any spoilers but can someone please tell me does it have a good ending, just a yes or a no will do fine.
YES
yay thank you thats all i needed to know

Li-Mei
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Post by Li-Mei » Aug 29th, '07, 04:18

Did anyone love Han Gyul's daydream scene in episode 15 as much as I did? So cute. I definitely feel that Gong Yoo understands his character pretty well, and I can see all the little details and things that he does in each scene to make himself more convincing. Eun Hye plays a pretty good Eun Chan but she still needs a bit more work, I don't blame it on her too much since she hasn't had as much experience.

At first, I wasn't at all interested in Han Sung/Yoo Joo's relationship, but now I appreciate the contrasts between them and the main couple.

nophankh
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Post by nophankh » Aug 29th, '07, 04:23

OH my god, the ending....
The ending really pissed me off. I mean it doesn't make sense though it was very cute. How can EC stay in Italy without HK visiting? HK is supposable super rich, but yet he can't buy a plane ticket to go visit EC or have EC come and visit him in Korea. I don't get it.

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Post by biniBningPunkista » Aug 29th, '07, 06:37

awww.... i am trying so freakin hard not to look at the spoilers!!!!
i think my self descipline is going good. i hope it really continues.
i dont want any spoilers.. whaaaaa...!!!!!
bat i miss posting stuff in this thread :(

belleza
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Post by belleza » Aug 29th, '07, 07:35

Did anyone love Han Gyul's daydream scene in episode 15 as much as I did? So cute.
And definitely it look a lot of trust between the actors. Very sweet and sexy.
Eun Hye plays a pretty good Eun Chan but she still needs a bit more work, I don't blame it on her too much since she hasn't had as much experience.
I'm not sure yet about YEH as a dramatic actress. Her performances tend to be a little cool -- not cold per se, but it's more cerebral/"in the head" than what is typical of a young Korean actress. (A good contrast would be Lee Yeon Hee. Not well suited for comedy, but can project emotions on the dime and without going into a hissy fit.) But, by the same token, it enables her to be a gifted comic actress (which she is -- her mannerisms of Goong are many and varied) and one of the few actresses, young and not young, in K-drama who is capable of doing character transformation.

YEH's performance is what makes Coffee Prince possible. Hana Kimi is about seeing a girl as a boy. Coffee Prince is about seeing the boy in the girl, and then seeing the girl in the boy in the girl. And can't understate this enough -- if Eun Chan isn't a fully realized creation, if Eun Chan doesn't lull us into feeling the same "one of the guys" familiarity that the other characters experience, Coffee Prince can't work. And it can't be understated what YEH accomplishes here.

But Gong Yoo is what makes Coffee Prince great. He has to sell us on him, essentially, falling in love with YEH's portrayal of Eun Chan. There is no other good reason -- no other usual K-drama rom-com "we hate each other but we really like each other" gamesmanship, no random acts of "oh but he's already a great guy" revelations -- that can sell their love. He must fall in love with Eun Chan strictly on how YEH plays her. And in turn, he must convince us the audience that this love -- their chemistry -- evolves from a completely believable place in both people. If the chemistry (which in this circumstance can't be "natural" because Eun Chan is a completely artificial creation) doesn't work, well Coffee Prince will still be good. But it would be a one-woman show.

He's kinda like the Hugh Grant character in "About a Boy", a curmugeonly boy-man with lots of toys, a lot of people who love him, and just this emotional uncertainty and disposition that he has nobody to share it with. And he has to connect this convincingly to this most unlikely companion. This was tailor made for this actor.

jooliepoolie
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Post by jooliepoolie » Aug 30th, '07, 00:33

omg i'm knee-deep in hw but i'm like dying to watch the last episode...
:crazy: :blink mmmuustt.... resist.... goddammit
belleza wrote: But Gong Yoo is what makes Coffee Prince great. He has to sell us on him, essentially, falling in love with YEH's portrayal of Eun Chan. There is no other good reason -- no other usual K-drama rom-com "we hate each other but we really like each other" gamesmanship, no random acts of "oh but he's already a great guy" revelations -- that can sell their love. He must fall in love with Eun Chan strictly on how YEH plays her. And in turn, he must convince us the audience that this love -- their chemistry -- evolves from a completely believable place in both people. If the chemistry (which in this circumstance can't be "natural" because Eun Chan is a completely artificial creation) doesn't work, well Coffee Prince will still be good. But it would be a one-woman show.

He's kinda like the Hugh Grant character in "About a Boy", a curmugeonly boy-man with lots of toys, a lot of people who love him, and just this emotional uncertainty and disposition that he has nobody to share it with. And he has to connect this convincingly to this most unlikely companion. This was tailor made for this actor.
i totally agree... even the writer had said han geung was protrayed exactly (if not better) as she pictured him, then again its no surprise since gong yoo has always been a talented actor.
HOWEVER coffee prince is twice as great b/c of the partnership of gong yoo and yoon eun hae.... sure eun hae is not experienced and maybe she could'v done better but
i dont think she was lacking too much for this part. She was very natural playing both the girly and the boyish side of eunchan. i thought she was ok in goong but its b/c of coffee prince i started appreciating her as an actress

anyway coffee prince has become one of my favorites :wub:
if the ending is good it'll be perfect!!!!

deb1430
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Post by deb1430 » Aug 31st, '07, 00:26

Image

source: http://sports.khan.co.kr/news/sk_index. ... 0101&pt=nv

credit : smr05 for translation

2007-08-30

YEH who has received the whole nations love through "Coffee Prince" has treated everyone at the drama's wrap up party.

On the 27th, the dinner to celebrate the wrap up of the drama was held at a BBQ restaurant in Yoido, where YEH paid for the whole lot.

As the first stage of the wrap up party, close to 100 people, including all the cast and crew enjoyed themselves, showing great displays of teamwork and taking up most of the restaurant.

To show her appreciation to the cast and crew who helped her in effectively playing out the role of Go Eun Chan, YEH had quietly paid for the entire meal.

On a different, it has been reported that YEH has been paid 20 million won (approx $21,000 USD) per episode for starring in Coffee Prince, which has risen her to the class A of stars, and due to the popularity of the drama we can once again see an increase on her worth.

There have already been speculations circulating around the notion that YEH may well be paid 25 million won (approx. $27,000 USD) per episode for her next drama.

================

* side note: in Korea theres a thing called the 20 million won club, coined by some media agency's as a term to descibe the A-list stars who earn atleast 20 million won an episode. This "club" consists of Kwon SangWoo, Ko HyunJung, Song Ilkook, Yoon Eun Hye to name a few

deb1430
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Post by deb1430 » Aug 31st, '07, 00:46

credit smr05 for translating

- GONG YOO FAN MEETING - Coffee Prince's and Yoon Eun Hye attended:



Image

Image

0:56 - the meeting was opened with GY singing (he missed the beat and said "oh no i missed it, i missed it)

1:16 - have you all been well? (YES!) we finished the shoot on Sunday and yesterday (27th) we had the wrap party.. its a shame isnt it? (YES!) letting go of HK was a shame for me too (OOHHHH~)

1:39 - Playing a dandy guy in a trendy drama, both GY's acting and popularity was a success

1:46 - Although GY had shown himself in a variety of different roles in both dramas and films and had been praised for his acting, in actual fact he had regrettably failed to reach the audience both in terms of viewership and popularity

2:06 - regardless of the fact that the main attention was on YEH, through this drama GY had developed in his acting and had earned himself the nations recognition and love as a "wan-so-nam" (aka VIP, very important/precious person)

2:10 - the fans had prepared a cake full of devotion which lifted GY's spirits (GY: "i cant blow it all out at once.. oh no! these two are burning up *blows*)

2:33 - now the time to reveal all on GY, O/X quiz time - Q. GY is originally from is a 5th gen mnet vj? A. GY: "X, im 7th gen mnet VJ"

3:04 - Q: like the character HK, if you ended up loving a man, would you take it as far as you can go whether he's a man or an alie..- *cuts it short and without a second thought* GY: NO WAY! NO WAY! *turns to interpreter* its easy to interpret right? N.O.

3:38 - acts out the famous scene from ep10, later says "wow i really cant act!"
3:57 - MC: where are the 3 princes and what are they doing now? GY: now that they're all famous, they're busy with their schedules, and regrettably.. they're actually all backstage! *entering the stage is our beautiful YEH followed by the 3 princes
4:26 - MC: what kind of actor is GY? KDW: "despite the huge number of watching fans he does all these weird dance moves"

4:43 - GY explains "its because after i do my scene i do the funny dance moves to tease those who are acting" *shows a demonstration in front of our beautiful YEH*

4:58 - GY: "dont you all want to see YEH blowing her hair in real life?" *they both blow their hair* (notice how YEH does a practice one first ^^) caption: EC <3 HK cute moment

5:27 - KJW: "its all due to the love you gave this drama that we have come thus far, so i want to thank you all sincerely, thank you!"

5:38 - YEH: "umm... because i was originally a singer... there was always that prejudiced view... so in my previous projects a lot of the times i acted with the thought in mind that i would work extra hard to get rid of that misunderstanding... but for this project i felt that these previous thoughts had subsided as i had felt such joy in shooting this drama... and i owe this joy to you for being so loving of me... thank you for your love!" *tears tears and more tears*

6:27 - GY: "i wanted to express how less lonely i feel because of you all... i hope you leave here with a joyful heart and I sincerely thank you all for coming here tonight" - *GY gives the fans the full bow*

6:57 - MC: our "wan-so-nam" GY, we look forward to what you have ahead for us !!

Yorokobi
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Post by Yorokobi » Aug 31st, '07, 12:42

@deb1430
love that top picture mind if i steal it?

theedqueen
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Post by theedqueen » Aug 31st, '07, 16:29

hey guys I made some coffee prince icons, thought I'd share with you guys

Image

there's 81 in total, you can find them all at my site: http://www.still-frames.net/goong/avatars

If you used them, don't hotlink and credit me thanks :-)

deb1430
Posts: 81
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Post by deb1430 » Aug 31st, '07, 16:55

Yorokobi wrote:@deb1430
love that top picture mind if i steal it?
no problem, just credit iluvyoo2 :-)

theedqueen those coffee prince icons are beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

princess_jime
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Location: Venezuela!

Post by princess_jime » Aug 31st, '07, 21:14

@theedqueen: your avas are fantastic, I took some and will credit for sure when I use them, great work!!!!!!!!!!!!! :wub:
Coffee prince love!

pwner4once
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Post by pwner4once » Sep 1st, '07, 18:59

so far i think the shrimp one is the best! but aww just 1 more eps and it's going to be over...>_<
why are korean dramas so short! :lol

so what is everyone going to watch after this drama?

mega_fanatic
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Joined: Aug 23rd, '07, 22:10

Post by mega_fanatic » Sep 3rd, '07, 00:07

pwner4once wrote:so far i think the shrimp one is the best! but aww just 1 more eps and it's going to be over...>_<
why are korean dramas so short! :lol

so what is everyone going to watch after this drama?
awee i know. it's so sad
but the kiss and ending scene in episode 16 absolutely made me giddy with excitement for the ending :w00t:
oh wow, i haven't even thought about that. :scratch:
is there life beyond coffee prince? :D :lol
but in all seriousness, anyone want to recommend any kdrama's or jdrama's that your going to or already have seen?
i need to start looking up prospectives. hahahah thanks for bringing that up btw :cheers:

jooliepoolie
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Post by jooliepoolie » Sep 3rd, '07, 16:10

gah~ i refuse to believe dat coffee prince is ending!!!!!
i dont no wtf i'm gonna watch now :cussing: ....

haha well that's exactly wat i said when my girl and full house ended
:cry: stilll it's so hard to say goodbye

belleza
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Post by belleza » Sep 3rd, '07, 22:50

but in all seriousness, anyone want to recommend any kdrama's or jdrama's that your going to or already have seen?
See, this year, we're just PILED with awesome K-dramas. This is the best year I've seen since 2004. It's been so distracting that I've fallen seriously behind on my J-drama list. And this is like the first year that's ever happened! Spoilered for brevity's sake
If you like the author of Coffee Prince, you may want to check KBS's Capital Scandal, which was another work from the same novelist. I think from the standpoint of pure plot (in other words, you gotta REALLY pay attention), this may be the strongest of the year. Dense, tricky story, hot swing music, saucy characters, and a world-class (but loveable) cad as the lead. And it does a pretty good job expressing the era during the Japanese occupation of Korea without being overbearing.

Overriding theme this year with all channels has been targeting the Korean audience that prefers American dramas. So, for example, the above dramas have similarities to shows like CSI. Having found out that Korean TV audience REALLY likes shows like CSI, the big MBC theme this year have been action.cop-oriented shows. You have H.I.T., Air City, and Time of Dog and Wolf. Over at KBS, you had the uneven, but disturbing and gritty Mawang, a unofficial sequel to Resurrection. It didn't do well in the ratings, but then neither did Resurrection -- EomTae Wong is electric in the lead role.

And to shore up the medical drama -- and if you're fan of Lee Sun Gyun (Han Sung) -- check out the darker hospital drama White Tower, which itself was a remake of the J-drama classic/superhit. I've seen a few episodes, and he was excellent. Very dark and intense. Over at SBC, there's Surgeon Bong Dal Hee, which I'm watching right now. And I mean, it's a stone cold (and very well done) spin on Gray's Anatomy. Even though it was competing with Dal Ja Spring, it managed to hold its own in the ratings. Lee Bum Soo chews major scenery (well!) in his role as the lead male doctor. Finally, you have Thank You, which involves a doctor whose personality is fabulously cranky like House. Thank You is still my pick for drama of the year -- from the writer of MiSa, Love to Kill, and Sang Do -- and I hope everybody looking for a heavy, but uplifting drama gives this a shot.

mega_fanatic
Posts: 15
Joined: Aug 23rd, '07, 22:10

Post by mega_fanatic » Sep 4th, '07, 00:10

belleza wrote:
but in all seriousness, anyone want to recommend any kdrama's or jdrama's that your going to or already have seen?
See, this year, we're just PILED with awesome K-dramas. This is the best year I've seen since 2004. It's been so distracting that I've fallen seriously behind on my J-drama list. And this is like the first year that's ever happened! Spoilered for brevity's sake
If you like the author of Coffee Prince, you may want to check KBS's Capital Scandal, which was another work from the same novelist. I think from the standpoint of pure plot (in other words, you gotta REALLY pay attention), this may be the strongest of the year. Dense, tricky story, hot swing music, saucy characters, and a world-class (but loveable) cad as the lead. And it does a pretty good job expressing the era during the Japanese occupation of Korea without being overbearing.

Overriding theme this year with all channels has been targeting the Korean audience that prefers American dramas. So, for example, the above dramas have similarities to shows like CSI. Having found out that Korean TV audience REALLY likes shows like CSI, the big MBC theme this year have been action.cop-oriented shows. You have H.I.T., Air City, and Time of Dog and Wolf. Over at KBS, you had the uneven, but disturbing and gritty Mawang, a unofficial sequel to Resurrection. It didn't do well in the ratings, but then neither did Resurrection -- EomTae Wong is electric in the lead role.

And to shore up the medical drama -- and if you're fan of Lee Sun Gyun (Han Sung) -- check out the darker hospital drama White Tower, which itself was a remake of the J-drama classic/superhit. I've seen a few episodes, and he was excellent. Very dark and intense. Over at SBC, there's Surgeon Bong Dal Hee, which I'm watching right now. And I mean, it's a stone cold (and very well done) spin on Gray's Anatomy. Even though it was competing with Dal Ja Spring, it managed to hold its own in the ratings. Lee Bum Soo chews major scenery (well!) in his role as the lead male doctor. Finally, you have Thank You, which involves a doctor whose personality is fabulously cranky like House. Thank You is still my pick for drama of the year -- from the writer of MiSa, Love to Kill, and Sang Do -- and I hope everybody looking for a heavy, but uplifting drama gives this a shot.



gahhh thank you so much, i'll be checking them all out to see whether or not their suitable to my tastes but your reviews make me want to watch them soo bad :wub:

Yorokobi
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Post by Yorokobi » Sep 4th, '07, 00:14

yay im finally getting my own laptop today so i can actually download coffee prince!!!!!

User avatar
draco
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Post by draco » Sep 4th, '07, 06:56

belleza, nice review for eps.14-15. Feel the same way with you and couldn't said it better..

you should be a drama reviewer, kinda like Ebert & Roeper but for asian dramas...lol

Nice :D

mega_fanatic
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Joined: Aug 23rd, '07, 22:10

Post by mega_fanatic » Sep 4th, '07, 21:45

gahhhh i just finished watching ep 17 and i looooved it.
the whole part where they kind of left it open for a continuation at the end makes me uuuuuber excited
i just can't believe it's over :cry: , hopefully they'll bring out a coffee prince 2 :wub:
i'd go crazy if they did :w000t:

three cheers for coffee prince. three cheers for withs2, and all the people who actually acted and worked on the show (that includes behind the scenes) :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
you guys did an AWESOME job! :salut:

now it's time for me to sit and wait for the special to be done.
kyaaaa im excited

Yorokobi
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Post by Yorokobi » Sep 5th, '07, 00:44

i totally only just noticed that subs are out up to episode 17 already yay go the subbers
but scince when are there 17 episodes and a special i didnt know that!

sweetserenity08
Posts: 133
Joined: Jun 27th, '07, 20:50

Post by sweetserenity08 » Sep 5th, '07, 11:22

I can't believe up to now that CP was really over.. :cry: :cry:
No more cup's to enjoy. :crazy:

tourette
Posts: 30
Joined: Jul 17th, '07, 13:32

Post by tourette » Sep 5th, '07, 13:46

again, i was quite disappointed with the last part and ending of a kdrama.
i really enjoyed coffee prince until ep12 but get bored since the scriptwriter did an easy ending (and also fastly done) after some episodes of stagnation.
unfortunately, i use to react like this on every kdrama i watch. a minimum of 16 ep is probably usually to much to keep a script exciting. but, it is true, in coffee prince (and it is rare), you don't have someone crying in each shot in the last 4 ep. it was even the opposite. but i didn't find it better whatever. damn... so far, only one kdrama keep me excited from the beginning to the end.

Yorokobi
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Post by Yorokobi » Sep 5th, '07, 14:33

i just finished watching the last 2 epsiodes!
it was kind of an open closed ending like its open enough that they could do another season if they wanted but also they could leave it as is
but it left me happy! I LOVE COFFE PRINCE!!!!!

tourette
Posts: 30
Joined: Jul 17th, '07, 13:32

Post by tourette » Sep 5th, '07, 15:30

true. an happy and open ending but really lacking of something, some sparkles.
i just felt like they just drop/leave the script and i find it frustrating because it was really good until some point. too bad, they didn't take any risk.

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Post by biniBningPunkista » Sep 5th, '07, 17:11

its really sad that it ended...
but im also happy that it actually ended that way.
hanging.. but still.... all things ends well.
you know that all of them had some closure..
i will surely miss eun chan, sajangnim and SUN-KI!!!!
haha... :D

knuts
Posts: 273
Joined: Aug 13th, '05, 20:43

Post by knuts » Sep 6th, '07, 19:08

belleza, very interesting to read your analysises of Coffee Prince

I have not read the reviews by dramabeans yet, but for me you are the first one to say that YEH as EC is good but not that super super great, as I have been reading in the soompi CP thread and news articles, which I could not understand completely.

Do you have a blog or so, like dramabeans? Would love to read all your writing.

kotatsulove
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Post by kotatsulove » Sep 6th, '07, 19:27

tourette wrote:true. an happy and open ending but really lacking of something, some sparkles.
i just felt like they just drop/leave the script and i find it frustrating because it was really good until some point. too bad, they didn't take any risk.
i agree. of the ending was good and this is one of the best dramas i've ever ever ever seen, the ending seemed really lacking. the last half of it wasn't filled with any real action or anything..there were too many epilogues, even on the ones that didn't matter. i think this is because they had add on to it once they decided to have 17 episodes, and they didn't really know what to fill it with. one more thing to add:
I didn't like the new girl that they introduced...i wanted Sun Ki to get back with his old love in the end! it was frustrating. and i didn't see the point of adding a new character
this is the only episode where i can give an ounce of criticism. all the other episodes were great...i think i might go back and watch it again. i sort of forget what happened in the early episode. i'm seriously in withdrawal..this sucks.

Farah_UK
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Location: London, England

Post by Farah_UK » Sep 6th, '07, 20:08

Coffee Prince has restored my faith in Korean dramas, it may not have the most original plot but everything about it from acting, directing, settings and music is so good. :-)

It has this fresh feeling about it, its warm and light. I just can't stop praising it. But having said that I hope the rumors about coffee prince 2 are not true, I don't want them to ruin the story.

I think I'm experiencing the same symptom as everyone else...coffee prince withdrawal :cry:

Egg-chan
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Post by Egg-chan » Sep 6th, '07, 21:18

kotatsulove wrote:
I didn't like the new girl that they introduced...i wanted Sun Ki to get back with his old love in the end! it was frustrating. and i didn't see the point of adding a new character
I'm actually really glad the brought in her at the end. Sun Ki's old love honestly treated him like complete crap and I think he deserved better.

The fact that he came all the way to Korea just to find her meant he really loved her and was willing to sacrifice everything for her, and for all these years he's devoted to being able to see her, never looking at any other women, this new girl that they introduced showed us that he was able to let go of his old love and now is willing to start a new (and I'm assuming) happy life with this girl.

He deserves to be happy!!

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Post by Yorokobi » Sep 7th, '07, 04:15

Egg-chan wrote:
kotatsulove wrote:
I didn't like the new girl that they introduced...i wanted Sun Ki to get back with his old love in the end! it was frustrating. and i didn't see the point of adding a new character
I'm actually really glad the brought in her at the end. Sun Ki's old love honestly treated him like complete crap and I think he deserved better.

The fact that he came all the way to Korea just to find her meant he really loved her and was willing to sacrifice everything for her, and for all these years he's devoted to being able to see her, never looking at any other women, this new girl that they introduced showed us that he was able to let go of his old love and now is willing to start a new (and I'm assuming) happy life with this girl.

He deserves to be happy!!
I agree that Sun Ki deserved better but I didnt like the new girl either, there was something a little odd about her that I can't quite but my finger on, maybe her acting was a little fake? i dunno

belleza
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Post by belleza » Sep 7th, '07, 08:46

I have not read the reviews by dramabeans yet, but for me you are the first one to say that YEH as EC is good but not that super super great, as I have been reading in the soompi CP thread and news articles, which I could not understand completely.
I think the show's success, as with many dramas, has created a lot of "is Coffee Prince/YEH overrated?" discussion. So, for example, YEH's gotten a lot of criticisms for her performance simply because so many people have also praised her. . But yeah, she's hit a wall with the show -- to her credit, that she did shows how much she wanted to be respected as an actress. Coffee Prince also benefits from very, very good casting. I actually feel Time of Dog and Wolf is the one show this year that I felt they miscast all 3 leads. The acting isn't bad at all, but it feels "off" -- like each of their interpretations of the characters doesn't jibe with the circumstances of the story, and thus my emotional connection with these characters is cloudy.

But I've argued many times that she, like, the drama Coffee Prince is actually underrated because there's a lot of elements that I believe will eventually be picked up by other dramas
The fact that the drama sets up a rivalry between Han Kyul and Han Sung for Go Eun Chan . . . and then turns left field and goes "gotcha!" on the audience was probably the single most important improvement in this drama.

In setting up perfectly valid reasons for a romantic rivalry, but then not giving us the rivalry -- it allows aspects to be used in a completely different context. Through it, we suddenly realize how much Han Sung loved Yoo Joo, how Eun Chan's love for Han Kyul was more substantial, and how it creates a critical voice (through Hang Sung's "yes we all lied to you, but look at it another way!" message) to assess Han Kyul's situation . . . it enabled the drama to pick up intensity and romantic momentum by their innate chemistry, simply because we started to believe in the integrity of these people.
YEH's just starting out, and so it remains unclear how good she'll eventually become as an actress. YEH's acting style reminds me a little of Takuya Kimura. Takuya Kimura's acting is a series of physical gestures, mannerisms, and has a keen understanding of how strangers initially interact. When you watch people act opposite Kimura, there isn't so much a familiarity but an opposite of that. Every scene feels a little new, like the opposite character is still getting to know Kimura's character. YEH's acting is a bit like that; when there's no dialogue, you often still observe Eun Chan because she is always doing something, fidgeting, entranced with something (like, say, a certain smell in the room or a tear in her jeans), etc. When it's her turn to interact, YEH hasn't necessarily gotten that much closer to the opposite character, because she isn't reading her partner. It's as if she's still week one in rehearsals, and that has its plus and minuses.

The thing is, Gong Yoo is the opposite of this style. His acting depends on reacting to his partner, getting to know when he should come in with the next line or how a certain emotional reaction should be. When they're fighting or squabbling, it's great because you can actually sense Gong Yoo listening to YEH's lines, and then modulating her reaction.

At the same time -- and this is kinda the limitation of YEH's acting right now -- when they finally get together, the chemistry seems to kinda peak. And it's because, at that point in the story, you're expecting YEH to react off Gong Yoo more organically, which doesn't happen. There's still a distance with Eun Chan -- especially poignant in YEH's line deliveries -- that suggests the character seems strangely insensible to Han Kyul. It's especially "off" because you actually see Gong Yoo trying to do more "pacing" in their romantic scenarios, but YEH's kinda not building the proper rapport. The rhythm seems off. That reminds me of Kimura a lot; there's only been a few actresses that are able to sync up with Kimura in a way that you believe you see a couple, rather than two actor play a romantic scene.

Anyway I bring this all up, because I felt in the post-12 episodes, the "support" couple Hang Sung and Yoo Joo end up upstaging the principal couple. Han Kyul and Eun Chan had the cuter scenes and the funnier scenes, but watching Hang Sung and Yoo Joo, I felt like I was watching two people who grew closer as the show went on. And if there was one big, big flaw with the post-12 episodes, it was that the writing didn't invest more time in covering their relationship, if anything else, as a contrast to the "kids."

I thought the ending of the show was okay. To me, Episodes 12 and 13 signified the true ending of the story, and so I kinda treated Episodes 14-17 as "extra" anyway. As it turns out, it felt like Episodes 14-17 consisted of 15-20 minutes of brilliant material, and then it was filled out with 30-40 minutes of side character sketches.

Normally I wouldn't have a problem with that -- and I really enjoyed the episodes in bites -- but because the novelist lead the screenwriting, I was hoping that at least she would editorialize the themes of Coffee Prince in the finale. In other words, use voice overs, or allow the characters to express introspectively what all these heady things in their lives really mean to them. It kinda felt like . . .
The whole bit about Yoo Joo's miscarraige felt like an afterthought, and in that sense, it was not only a badly executed idea but a horribly missed opportunity. I was waiting for the scene where Yoo Joo and Han Sung face their first true test of marraige, and then the scene where Han Kyul and Eun Chan must react to these news. We never get the scene where Han Sung or Yoo Joo bears his sadness to our adolescent-30-something Han Kyul, or a ripe opportunity for Han Kyul or Yoo Joo to speak to Eun Chan personally about what a family means to two people who love each other. We never get that, and for some reason, the story moves away from the perfect contrast/compare of these two couples and these two very different stages of spousal relationships.

Also, it was disappointing that Han Sung and Eun Chan had one scene after Episode 12. It's as if they stopped talking altogether. Or that the two couples seemed to drift into their own lives after invading each other's private spaces for the whole show. It felt really off.
The finale doesn't have the bittersweet, but ultimately true melancholy of Alone in Love, or the expositional pointedness of Ireland and Ruler of Your Own World, or the savor and wit of Kim Sam Soon. But Coffee Prince could have been that good. Because of its success and the fact that the story had already obligated us with the ending in Episode 12, it had the opportunity -- right there -- for the writer to do whatever she wanted. I wanted the novelist in the screenwriter to kinda speak to us. I love the cutesy stuff and the sexy stuff, but now I want the novelist to talk to me, to send me off with an indelible impression, a proper ribbon and bow. You don't need to K-drama me anymore; you just need to leave me a message of what Coffee Prince meant to you.

The ending was enjoyable, but it did feel like the romantic version of continental drift. And in a way -- in trying to mantain that sophistication and self-possession -- the two felt a bit like strangers at the end of the story. Her hair and dress was meant to show Eun Chan's transition from tomboy to woman, but somewhere she kinda turned into an ajumma.

knuts
Posts: 273
Joined: Aug 13th, '05, 20:43

Post by knuts » Sep 7th, '07, 17:36

belleza wrote:
I have not read the reviews by dramabeans yet, but for me you are the first one to say that YEH as EC is good but not that super super great, as I have been reading in the soompi CP thread and news articles, which I could not understand completely.
I think the show's success, as with many dramas, has created a lot of "is Coffee Prince/YEH overrated?" discussion. So, for example, YEH's gotten a lot of criticisms for her performance simply because so many people have also praised her. . But yeah, she's hit a wall with the show -- to her credit, that she did shows how much she wanted to be respected as an actress. Coffee Prince also benefits from very, very good casting. I actually feel Time of Dog and Wolf is the one show this year that I felt they miscast all 3 leads. The acting isn't bad at all, but it feels "off" -- like each of their interpretations of the characters doesn't jibe with the circumstances of the story, and thus my emotional connection with these characters is cloudy.

But I've argued many times that she, like, the drama Coffee Prince is actually underrated because there's a lot of elements that I believe will eventually be picked up by other dramas
The fact that the drama sets up a rivalry between Han Kyul and Han Sung for Go Eun Chan . . . and then turns left field and goes "gotcha!" on the audience was probably the single most important improvement in this drama.

In setting up perfectly valid reasons for a romantic rivalry, but then not giving us the rivalry -- it allows aspects to be used in a completely different context. Through it, we suddenly realize how much Han Sung loved Yoo Joo, how Eun Chan's love for Han Kyul was more substantial, and how it creates a critical voice (through Hang Sung's "yes we all lied to you, but look at it another way!" message) to assess Han Kyul's situation . . . it enabled the drama to pick up intensity and romantic momentum by their innate chemistry, simply because we started to believe in the integrity of these people.
YEH's just starting out, and so it remains unclear how good she'll eventually become as an actress. YEH's acting style reminds me a little of Takuya Kimura. Takuya Kimura's acting is a series of physical gestures, mannerisms, and has a keen understanding of how strangers initially interact. When you watch people act opposite Kimura, there isn't so much a familiarity but an opposite of that. Every scene feels a little new, like the opposite character is still getting to know Kimura's character. YEH's acting is a bit like that; when there's no dialogue, you often still observe Eun Chan because she is always doing something, fidgeting, entranced with something (like, say, a certain smell in the room or a tear in her jeans), etc. When it's her turn to interact, YEH hasn't necessarily gotten that much closer to the opposite character, because she isn't reading her partner. It's as if she's still week one in rehearsals, and that has its plus and minuses.

The thing is, Gong Yoo is the opposite of this style. His acting depends on reacting to his partner, getting to know when he should come in with the next line or how a certain emotional reaction should be. When they're fighting or squabbling, it's great because you can actually sense Gong Yoo listening to YEH's lines, and then modulating her reaction.

At the same time -- and this is kinda the limitation of YEH's acting right now -- when they finally get together, the chemistry seems to kinda peak. And it's because, at that point in the story, you're expecting YEH to react off Gong Yoo more organically, which doesn't happen. There's still a distance with Eun Chan -- especially poignant in YEH's line deliveries -- that suggests the character seems strangely insensible to Han Kyul. It's especially "off" because you actually see Gong Yoo trying to do more "pacing" in their romantic scenarios, but YEH's kinda not building the proper rapport. The rhythm seems off. That reminds me of Kimura a lot; there's only been a few actresses that are able to sync up with Kimura in a way that you believe you see a couple, rather than two actor play a romantic scene.

Anyway I bring this all up, because I felt in the post-12 episodes, the "support" couple Hang Sung and Yoo Joo end up upstaging the principal couple. Han Kyul and Eun Chan had the cuter scenes and the funnier scenes, but watching Hang Sung and Yoo Joo, I felt like I was watching two people who grew closer as the show went on. And if there was one big, big flaw with the post-12 episodes, it was that the writing didn't invest more time in covering their relationship, if anything else, as a contrast to the "kids."

I thought the ending of the show was okay. To me, Episodes 12 and 13 signified the true ending of the story, and so I kinda treated Episodes 14-17 as "extra" anyway. As it turns out, it felt like Episodes 14-17 consisted of 15-20 minutes of brilliant material, and then it was filled out with 30-40 minutes of side character sketches.

Normally I wouldn't have a problem with that -- and I really enjoyed the episodes in bites -- but because the novelist lead the screenwriting, I was hoping that at least she would editorialize the themes of Coffee Prince in the finale. In other words, use voice overs, or allow the characters to express introspectively what all these heady things in their lives really mean to them. It kinda felt like . . .
The whole bit about Yoo Joo's miscarraige felt like an afterthought, and in that sense, it was not only a badly executed idea but a horribly missed opportunity. I was waiting for the scene where Yoo Joo and Han Sung face their first true test of marraige, and then the scene where Han Kyul and Eun Chan must react to these news. We never get the scene where Han Sung or Yoo Joo bears his sadness to our adolescent-30-something Han Kyul, or a ripe opportunity for Han Kyul or Yoo Joo to speak to Eun Chan personally about what a family means to two people who love each other. We never get that, and for some reason, the story moves away from the perfect contrast/compare of these two couples and these two very different stages of spousal relationships.

Also, it was disappointing that Han Sung and Eun Chan had one scene after Episode 12. It's as if they stopped talking altogether. Or that the two couples seemed to drift into their own lives after invading each other's private spaces for the whole show. It felt really off.
The finale doesn't have the bittersweet, but ultimately true melancholy of Alone in Love, or the expositional pointedness of Ireland and Ruler of Your Own World, or the savor and wit of Kim Sam Soon. But Coffee Prince could have been that good. Because of its success and the fact that the story had already obligated us with the ending in Episode 12, it had the opportunity -- right there -- for the writer to do whatever she wanted. I wanted the novelist in the screenwriter to kinda speak to us. I love the cutesy stuff and the sexy stuff, but now I want the novelist to talk to me, to send me off with an indelible impression, a proper ribbon and bow. You don't need to K-drama me anymore; you just need to leave me a message of what Coffee Prince meant to you.

The ending was enjoyable, but it did feel like the romantic version of continental drift. And in a way -- in trying to mantain that sophistication and self-possession -- the two felt a bit like strangers at the end of the story. Her hair and dress was meant to show Eun Chan's transition from tomboy to woman, but somewhere she kinda turned into an ajumma.
wow...how many times have you watched CP?

I bet you write for a living, right? And you love watching films, no?

Have you watched Que Sera Sera? Would love to hear your take on that.

if you had a blog for your K-drama reviews, I am sure you would gather a lot of readers
sure, you don't want to set up one ? :whistling:

hahaahaa...actually it is for selfish reasons. It would make my/our lives easier, because now I have to go to all different threads to find your reviews.

jooliepoolie
Posts: 38
Joined: Aug 13th, '07, 02:05

Post by jooliepoolie » Sep 7th, '07, 20:27

knuts wrote:
belleza wrote:
I have not read the reviews by dramabeans yet, but for me you are the first one to say that YEH as EC is good but not that super super great, as I have been reading in the soompi CP thread and news articles, which I could not understand completely.
I think the show's success, as with many dramas, has created a lot of "is Coffee Prince/YEH overrated?" discussion. So, for example, YEH's gotten a lot of criticisms for her performance simply because so many people have also praised her. . But yeah, she's hit a wall with the show -- to her credit, that she did shows how much she wanted to be respected as an actress. Coffee Prince also benefits from very, very good casting. I actually feel Time of Dog and Wolf is the one show this year that I felt they miscast all 3 leads. The acting isn't bad at all, but it feels "off" -- like each of their interpretations of the characters doesn't jibe with the circumstances of the story, and thus my emotional connection with these characters is cloudy.

But I've argued many times that she, like, the drama Coffee Prince is actually underrated because there's a lot of elements that I believe will eventually be picked up by other dramas
The fact that the drama sets up a rivalry between Han Kyul and Han Sung for Go Eun Chan . . . and then turns left field and goes "gotcha!" on the audience was probably the single most important improvement in this drama.

In setting up perfectly valid reasons for a romantic rivalry, but then not giving us the rivalry -- it allows aspects to be used in a completely different context. Through it, we suddenly realize how much Han Sung loved Yoo Joo, how Eun Chan's love for Han Kyul was more substantial, and how it creates a critical voice (through Hang Sung's "yes we all lied to you, but look at it another way!" message) to assess Han Kyul's situation . . . it enabled the drama to pick up intensity and romantic momentum by their innate chemistry, simply because we started to believe in the integrity of these people.
YEH's just starting out, and so it remains unclear how good she'll eventually become as an actress. YEH's acting style reminds me a little of Takuya Kimura. Takuya Kimura's acting is a series of physical gestures, mannerisms, and has a keen understanding of how strangers initially interact. When you watch people act opposite Kimura, there isn't so much a familiarity but an opposite of that. Every scene feels a little new, like the opposite character is still getting to know Kimura's character. YEH's acting is a bit like that; when there's no dialogue, you often still observe Eun Chan because she is always doing something, fidgeting, entranced with something (like, say, a certain smell in the room or a tear in her jeans), etc. When it's her turn to interact, YEH hasn't necessarily gotten that much closer to the opposite character, because she isn't reading her partner. It's as if she's still week one in rehearsals, and that has its plus and minuses.

The thing is, Gong Yoo is the opposite of this style. His acting depends on reacting to his partner, getting to know when he should come in with the next line or how a certain emotional reaction should be. When they're fighting or squabbling, it's great because you can actually sense Gong Yoo listening to YEH's lines, and then modulating her reaction.

At the same time -- and this is kinda the limitation of YEH's acting right now -- when they finally get together, the chemistry seems to kinda peak. And it's because, at that point in the story, you're expecting YEH to react off Gong Yoo more organically, which doesn't happen. There's still a distance with Eun Chan -- especially poignant in YEH's line deliveries -- that suggests the character seems strangely insensible to Han Kyul. It's especially "off" because you actually see Gong Yoo trying to do more "pacing" in their romantic scenarios, but YEH's kinda not building the proper rapport. The rhythm seems off. That reminds me of Kimura a lot; there's only been a few actresses that are able to sync up with Kimura in a way that you believe you see a couple, rather than two actor play a romantic scene.

Anyway I bring this all up, because I felt in the post-12 episodes, the "support" couple Hang Sung and Yoo Joo end up upstaging the principal couple. Han Kyul and Eun Chan had the cuter scenes and the funnier scenes, but watching Hang Sung and Yoo Joo, I felt like I was watching two people who grew closer as the show went on. And if there was one big, big flaw with the post-12 episodes, it was that the writing didn't invest more time in covering their relationship, if anything else, as a contrast to the "kids."

I thought the ending of the show was okay. To me, Episodes 12 and 13 signified the true ending of the story, and so I kinda treated Episodes 14-17 as "extra" anyway. As it turns out, it felt like Episodes 14-17 consisted of 15-20 minutes of brilliant material, and then it was filled out with 30-40 minutes of side character sketches.

Normally I wouldn't have a problem with that -- and I really enjoyed the episodes in bites -- but because the novelist lead the screenwriting, I was hoping that at least she would editorialize the themes of Coffee Prince in the finale. In other words, use voice overs, or allow the characters to express introspectively what all these heady things in their lives really mean to them. It kinda felt like . . .
The whole bit about Yoo Joo's miscarraige felt like an afterthought, and in that sense, it was not only a badly executed idea but a horribly missed opportunity. I was waiting for the scene where Yoo Joo and Han Sung face their first true test of marraige, and then the scene where Han Kyul and Eun Chan must react to these news. We never get the scene where Han Sung or Yoo Joo bears his sadness to our adolescent-30-something Han Kyul, or a ripe opportunity for Han Kyul or Yoo Joo to speak to Eun Chan personally about what a family means to two people who love each other. We never get that, and for some reason, the story moves away from the perfect contrast/compare of these two couples and these two very different stages of spousal relationships.

Also, it was disappointing that Han Sung and Eun Chan had one scene after Episode 12. It's as if they stopped talking altogether. Or that the two couples seemed to drift into their own lives after invading each other's private spaces for the whole show. It felt really off.
The finale doesn't have the bittersweet, but ultimately true melancholy of Alone in Love, or the expositional pointedness of Ireland and Ruler of Your Own World, or the savor and wit of Kim Sam Soon. But Coffee Prince could have been that good. Because of its success and the fact that the story had already obligated us with the ending in Episode 12, it had the opportunity -- right there -- for the writer to do whatever she wanted. I wanted the novelist in the screenwriter to kinda speak to us. I love the cutesy stuff and the sexy stuff, but now I want the novelist to talk to me, to send me off with an indelible impression, a proper ribbon and bow. You don't need to K-drama me anymore; you just need to leave me a message of what Coffee Prince meant to you.

The ending was enjoyable, but it did feel like the romantic version of continental drift. And in a way -- in trying to mantain that sophistication and self-possession -- the two felt a bit like strangers at the end of the story. Her hair and dress was meant to show Eun Chan's transition from tomboy to woman, but somewhere she kinda turned into an ajumma.
wow...how many times have you watched CP?

I bet you write for a living, right? And you love watching films, no?

Have you watched Que Sera Sera? Would love to hear your take on that.

if you had a blog for your K-drama reviews, I am sure you would gather a lot of readers
sure, you don't want to set up one ? :whistling:

hahaahaa...actually it is for selfish reasons. It would make my/our lives easier, because now I have to go to all different threads to find your reviews.
:lol hahaha i totally agree!!! belleza is really insightfull :thumleft:

bent
Posts: 135
Joined: Feb 23rd, '07, 08:40

Post by bent » Sep 8th, '07, 09:36

i wonder whether there will be a sequel like ISWAK?

bent
Posts: 135
Joined: Feb 23rd, '07, 08:40

Post by bent » Sep 8th, '07, 12:21

oh look!

http://www.coffee-prince.com/?p=505


think it should have been posted b4...but nonetheless, for those who didn't see it

Archaenon
Posts: 435
Joined: Mar 17th, '07, 09:33
Contact:

Post by Archaenon » Sep 8th, '07, 12:41

id wait 3 or 4 years for a sequel. I don't want it w/o Yoo or YEH. =/

littledraci
Posts: 501
Joined: Oct 7th, '06, 20:25
Location: Germany

Post by littledraci » Sep 9th, '07, 20:54

Archaenon wrote:id wait 3 or 4 years for a sequel. I don't want it w/o Yoo or YEH. =/
yep, agree. NO CP-Sequel without Gong Yoo and YEH......perhaps another drama with the title Coffee Princess... :scratch: can't top the one and only CP though... and what could be the plot... :scratch: ani.... only accept with the original cast :roll :lol

belleza
Posts: 713
Joined: Jan 21st, '07, 07:35

Post by belleza » Sep 10th, '07, 07:10

perhaps another drama with the title Coffee Princess...
. . . . starring Lee Jun Ki as the Coffee Princess. A touching story of ancient times (say, 1992) where the Coffee Princess entertains the Coffee King and fall in love, until it is exposed that the Coffee Princess was actually . . . a single-eye lidded boy. NNOOOOOO!!!!! Could this tragic tale of pretty boy love, pre-Starbucks coffee, and controversial before/after photos win the hearts of Korea? Cue Super Junior tune . . .

Apparently, Kim Ah-Joon (200 Lbs Beauty)was originally slated to play Eun Chan, but her contract promoting a shampoo nixed that. I mean, if they wanted to do a CP spinoff, well hey give it a go. ;) I like the idea of Kim Ah-Joon who would be more "age appropriate" opposite Gong Yoo, but I don't know whether she could have pulled off the physicality in the role. Eun Chan was offerred to YEH due to her "young girl warrior" persona, which kinda came about during her X-man days.

I think it'll take too long to do Coffee Prince, part 2. If you're want original cast, you're talking at least 3 years before it could possibly air. MBC could vouch for a Coffee Prince S/Coffee Princess remake, but the backlash could be vicious. Finally, the story originally already ran out after Episode 12, and you could see that once the Twelfth Night gender play was resolved, the story itself didn't have much push.

Rather, I'd like to see CP's style become really influential with future romantic comedies. Coffee Prince does for Seoul what Amelie does for Paris, or Richard Curtis comedies do for London. It did what no faraway island or hotel-in-the-middle-of-nowhere can -- it made Seoul into an enchanting place. Plus, the headiness of young love is best expressed with music. Lots of tunes were used here and especially alt-rock music. Finally, similar to shows like Alone in Love and Ireland, it showed how funny and moving good, honest dialogue can be. It presses the pink-shaded kisses harder against the lips.

DancerX
Posts: 2
Joined: Sep 12th, '07, 00:39

Post by DancerX » Sep 12th, '07, 01:37

I really dug Coffee Prince for it's witty dialogue and strong ensemble performance, but I felt that there were some flaws. Please feel free to comment on my criticisms:

POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD!

1) Did any other guy find the Eun Chan character unattractive? I mean, she was cute in a boyish way, but I don't really get any full blooded heterosexual guy actually wanting to kiss her while she is in boy mode (or do more). I do realize that this is a drama written by a woman for a female audience, so maybe Eun Chan is the kind of character a woman thinks a guy would want, rather than the kind of woman a guy would actually want?

2) 2 years in Italy to train for a $10/hour job? And grandma, the shrewd businesswoman she is, thought it was a good idea? I tried looking this up on the internet, but I don't think it takes 2 years. 2 years will allow you to graduate from a world famous french culinary academy, which includes a hell of a lot more than coffee. Since the plan is to have Eun Chan run Coffee Princess, wouldn't an MBA be more appropriate?

3) And backing up a bit, Han Kyul gives up a job in NY that he's been planning for for years partially to be with Eun Chan, while Eun Chan drops everything to fly to Italy for 2 years, just because coffee suddenly seems cool. Again, a story written for a woman for a female audience.

4) The whole real father double fakeout seemed unnecessary. They could have deleted that whole bit with no effect on the storyline. In the book, Han Kyul grows up believing he's adopted because of a conversation he overheard when young, causing him to play around since he's really not part of the family anyway. Later, he learns that his father is indeed his real father, which causes him to be much more serious with the company business. This was a development that was really important to the story arc in the book, why did they have to mess with it and leave this soappy feeling double fakeout in the drama?

belleza
Posts: 713
Joined: Jan 21st, '07, 07:35

Post by belleza » Sep 12th, '07, 04:55

DancerX -- if you use [ SPOILER ] tags around the text, it'll keep it hidden. It's good for people who are kinda scanning through the pages without looking carefully.
1) Did any other guy find the Eun Chan character unattractive? I mean, she was cute in a boyish way, but I don't really get any full blooded heterosexual guy actually wanting to kiss her while she is in boy mode (or do more).
It's funny that you mention that, because I actually think YEH's look right now is the best she's ever looked. Her hair is a little longer, but fashionably short and permed, and it helps play up her high cheek structure. Eun Hye has never been considered conventionally beautiful, but men like her due to her "young girl warrior" charisma.

I haven't made up my mind about how I see YEH and Eun Chan. Most actors and actresses, there's always one or two roles that you kinda see their other performances through. Eun Chan is such a singular performance for her, the degree in which YEH disappears into this role, the way she even breathes as her emotions go up, was so different that I don't see "Eun Chan"-ness in her public appearances (i.e. X-man) or her performance in either Goong or Vineyard Man. It's a defining role and yet it isn't.

The story itself pointedly underlines that, by and large, men really don't find Eun Chan attractive. The story kinda suggests that Han Gyul has difficulties relating to women intimately, whereas he's unusually attached to his male friendships. Han Sung was a bit different; even though they would make jokes about it, he was still working through his anger and other issues with Yoo Joo -- happy but not completely happy that they had reconciled. He really enjoyed his simple, innocent friendship with Eun Chan, and the fact that she unabashedly adored him. Tempting fruit, so to speak.

CP did a really good job making the audience self-conscious of how men and women interact. Even though Han Gyul and Eun Chan did all the normal guy things, there's a unusual invasion of space which does not happen in straight male friendships. (Though it does with kept men/dandy young male relationship, though obviously CP isn't going there.)

Onto the spoiler criticisms:
<<Since>>

No, I completely disagree with that. Eun Chan absolutely supported Han Kyul's decision to work in NY. Han Kyul's desire to return to NY was actually against the wishes of his parents, especially because they did not consider his work serious.

The story itself raises up commentary on the changing relationships between 20-somethings in Korea. Eun Chan and Yoo Joo put their personal ambitions at the same level as their romantic lives, and have men waiting for them. The men have successful careers, but are still live in a nascent adult phase, where they haven't really outgrown their toys yet or their boyish outlook at life. In a way, the women act more like ambitious career men. And the men act more like lovesick teenagers. But it helps establish more equanimity between the sexes, which better reflects this current generation of younger Koreans.

<<4>>

Yeah, Coffee Prince dropped the ball there, especially since there's probably no other current male lead who can better playout post-adolescent "boy-to-man" blues than Gong Yoo. The writers could have built this story after Episode 12, but the writers didn't bite. Nor they try to bring in Han Sung's perspective on this, as he seemed curiously disconnected by this important development.

A big, big part of Han Kyul and Eun Chan's relationship is Han Kyul kinda finding a bridge where he can grow into responsible adulthood and yet preserve the things he loved and valued as a child. And naturally, this should have opened up dialogue between Han Kyul and Eun Chan about that. Han Kyul's "Garden State" lifestyle. Eun Chan's late awakening as a woman. Etc.

deb1430
Posts: 81
Joined: May 18th, '06, 07:17

Post by deb1430 » Sep 12th, '07, 17:47

sources: DCYEH, E-daily SPN

translated and credit to: smr05 of soompi (with her permission to post outside)

"Cover Story", decision to cut out "Coffee Prince" segment due to Yoon Eun Hye replacement criticism


Story On (cable channel) who were planning to air their program "Cover Story" on the 13th of Sept, have decided to cut out one of the segments which was about the casting behind the drama "Coffee Prince".

To publicize the program, they had televised a preview of the segment which included CP's original casting plans for the female lead. The preview stated that Yoon Eun Hye was the 'substitute' for Kim Ah Joong who was the original choice. Due to the criticism and anger brought upon the statement that 'Yoon Eun Hye was a substitution', the producers have decided to cut out this particular segment from the show.

During the phone conversation between E-Daily SPN and Story On (SO), SO's reps advised "the show which is to be aired on the 13th is about the joys and sorrows of stars and their casting decisions, and CP's Eunchan replacement was the highlight.. but we have decided to edit out this section all together."

The rep went on to reveal that decision was made because "we were scared that we may face a law suit as one of the 'Cover Story' producers told us of an experience where that did happen, and we didnt want that to happen to us."

Prior to this decision, Story On had released a preview of the CP segment where it was stated that Kim Ah Joong did not want to cut her long hair for the role as she was bound by a Shampoo CF and thus had no choice but to hand over the role to a short haired YEH, who was hence chosen as KAJ's substitute.

However Yoon Eun Hye's reps had argued that "by using the words 'substitute casting' it implies that Kim Ah Joong was casted but quit, which isnt the case, so using those words doesnt make any sense."

CP's Lee YoonJung PD and script writer Lee JungAh had even spoken up, revealing that "at the time, Kim Ah Joong might have received the synopsis, but honestly speaking, we sent the synopsis to a number of other actresses as well. Moreover, Yoon Eun Hye was not casted as Kim Ah Joong's substitute."

Additionally, Kim Ah Joong's reps had explained that "we received the synopsis but were unable to make a decision due to the CF agreements but it wasnt as if Kim Ah Joong had received it before Yoon Eun Hye and accepted the role, then reversed her decision so that Yoon Eun Hye could be her stand in. So in saying that Yoon Eun Hye is Kim Ah Joongs 'substitute' is highly inappropriate".

side note: Jung Ryeo Won was among those actresses who has also received the Coffee Prince synopsis, but she didn't consider it because she felt that the role wasn't suited for her. She also said that now she regrets not considering this great role, but she also added that Yoon Eun Hye did an amazing job as EunChan and that she was perfect for this role.

knuts
Posts: 273
Joined: Aug 13th, '05, 20:43

Post by knuts » Sep 12th, '07, 20:56

DancerX wrote:I really dug Coffee Prince for it's witty dialogue and strong ensemble performance, but I felt that there were some flaws. Please feel free to comment on my criticisms:

POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD!

1) Did any other guy find the Eun Chan character unattractive? I mean, she was cute in a boyish way, but I don't really get any full blooded heterosexual guy actually wanting to kiss her while she is in boy mode (or do more). I do realize that this is a drama written by a woman for a female audience, so maybe Eun Chan is the kind of character a woman thinks a guy would want, rather than the kind of woman a guy would actually want?
I must say I felt the same like you and just took it as a given, but with Belleza's interpretation I understand it better now.
DancerX wrote: 4) The whole real father double fakeout seemed unnecessary. They could have deleted that whole bit with no effect on the storyline. In the book, Han Kyul grows up believing he's adopted because of a conversation he overheard when young, causing him to play around since he's really not part of the family anyway. Later, he learns that his father is indeed his real father, which causes him to be much more serious with the company business. This was a development that was really important to the story arc in the book, why did they have to mess with it and leave this soappy feeling double fakeout in the drama?
The plot from the book does sound much better. Too bad they did not used it in the drama.

deb1430
Posts: 81
Joined: May 18th, '06, 07:17

Post by deb1430 » Sep 13th, '07, 06:38

09-13-2007

source: http://www.segye.com/Service5/ShellView ... 1129000047

translated by: smr05 with permission to post here

Image

Yoon Eun Hye expressed her thoughts on the controversial "Kim Ah Jong replacement" issue regarding the casting process of 'Coffee Prince'.

Cable channel StoryON's program 'Cover Story', which will be televising a special on 'Replacement Stars' on the 13th of Sept, had originally included a major segment on Yoon Eun Hye, before they changed their minds and decided to cut it out, due to the controversy it had caused. Yoon Eun Hye, through her manager, spoke out about her take on this issue.

Yoon Eun Hye: "I was overjoyed by the tremendous yet undeserving love that i had received after playing Go Eun Chan in Coffee Prince. And I personally think that no matter who had played the role of EunChan would have equally received the same happiness and love as I had received".

Yoon Eun Hye also expressed that she had only come to hear of the supposed 'Yoon Eun Hye is Kim Ah Jong's replacement' scandal through a friend, when it started to make the headlines from the 12th. On that same day, Coffee Prince's Lee YoonJung PD had personally phoned her and told her "its far from the truth, I never offered the role to Kim Ah Jong so please dont be misunderstood over this." Yoon Eun Hye further revealed that throughout the phone conversation, both Lee PD and herself were consoling each other, telling each other "lets not think much more of this" and ended the conversation on a happy note.

Yoon Eun Hye's manager Park GeunSoo also expressed his thoughts by saying "I was worried that YEH would be hurt by this matter, but she was fine about all this and was actually the one who was comforting me, telling me not to worry."


*side note* I knew there was a reason why I love YEH so much. She's such a swee, humble gal.

hitrunningh
Posts: 41
Joined: Dec 8th, '05, 08:28

beautiful coffee prince stuffs

Post by hitrunningh » Sep 14th, '07, 01:22

Image

beautiful earrings
Image
Image
Image

val009
Posts: 4
Joined: Sep 14th, '07, 19:53
Location: Newport

Post by val009 » Sep 14th, '07, 20:23

oh wow this is crazy. did anyone hear also how jung ryeo-won could've been eun-chan?!?!

http://www.mykofan.com/Coffee_Prince__- ... Drama.aspx

i guess she spoke about it during sangsang plus but the pd might've cut it out since it didn't actually air. the article date was actually from the day before..or was it day of?

anyway...crazy how it all worked out. i'm personally a fan of yoon eun-hye and thought she was absolutely perfect for the role =)

bent
Posts: 135
Joined: Feb 23rd, '07, 08:40

Post by bent » Sep 15th, '07, 05:05

when is the 2nd OST being released?

danchemistry
Posts: 68
Joined: Apr 15th, '06, 00:20

Post by danchemistry » Sep 15th, '07, 13:49

Have any one finish the drama? any good?

lmaonade
Posts: 54
Joined: Aug 23rd, '07, 05:40

Post by lmaonade » Sep 15th, '07, 14:34

does anyone know if the mickeybaby subtitles work for the 720p versions?

izta
Posts: 14
Joined: Aug 29th, '07, 02:54

Post by izta » Sep 16th, '07, 02:21

I already finish it, and all I can say is that, I LOVED IT. Eu Go Chan is love, and so it is Han kyul!! Ming yeop is soooo cute, and now I have to change my top 5 of asian dramas, and have to put at number one Coffee Prince, and HYD at second place.

Tyrea
Posts: 47
Joined: Aug 2nd, '07, 23:25

Post by Tyrea » Sep 16th, '07, 13:27

well while i can't say that this is my fav drama, i think everyone should probably see it.
what i liked the most about the story is that there are no evil characters *yay*, scheming and intrigues and no over the top unrealistic drama *double yay*. just real people with their problems presented in a realistic way.

gong yoo's acting was simply *fantastic*, the way he managed to convey the emotions and act them so well left me speechless several times, and YEH was great too. i don't like how everyone was telling how amazing she was in the first half and now suddenly she wasn't good :roll she's not perfect, but give her credit for what she's done well. she's not an experienced actress so imo, in spite of her character ending a bit flat, she's done an amazing job, and i can't imagine any other actress doing it better.

as for those people who don't like it and said it's a bit draggy...well i agree with that. it's not just about the episode 13+ but the first few eps too. however, it was more of a slice-of- life and get- to- know- the-characters better thing and thanks to that we could feel the friendship they shared
oh i forgot the fanservice 8) i dont know about you but i found those 'boys playing with water' or 'boys being sweaty' scenes hilarious :D it's similar to what you can find in anime/manga/manhwa...the only thing missing was them being shiny or something of the sort :lol
the latter half...eps 13+ felt slightly too draggy, it wasn't with a purpose but just draggy...they should have left it at 16 eps as it was supposed to be. i still havent ended ep17...think i am somewhere in the middle...and don't have much interest to see it end anytime soon heh (i end up watching doctor who ^^;).
but i admit that it's definitely better than introducing some evil chars or stupid subplots that would make me go *rolleyes* and just piss me off making me hate the series

overall it's a drama that is really fun to watch cause of the lovable characters and realistic issues which make it probably top1 kdrama depth-wise

queequeg
Posts: 43
Joined: Nov 1st, '06, 18:22

Post by queequeg » Sep 16th, '07, 20:24

Dancer X wrote:

I really dug Coffee Prince for it's witty dialogue and strong ensemble performance, but I felt that there were some flaws. Please feel free to comment on my criticisms:

POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD!

1) Did any other guy find the Eun Chan character unattractive? I mean, she was cute in a boyish way, but I don't really get any full blooded heterosexual guy actually wanting to kiss her while she is in boy mode (or do more). I do realize that this is a drama written by a woman for a female audience, so maybe Eun Chan is the kind of character a woman thinks a guy would want, rather than the kind of woman a guy would actually want?
I agree with Dancer X that Eun Chan was not attractive at all. But maybe that was the point. The more unattractive Eun Chan the more "real" the love would be from Han Kyul. It would be for the inside Eun Chan, not her outside appearance. As he said, he'd love her even if she was an alien. However, they did go a little overboard, IMHO, with what I call the "Ew-Yuck" factor. I mean, really, even though it was funny, would you see someone pick a piece a meat off the floor and eat it and go "Ooo baby, kiss me now!". Or watch someone shove a ladle full of kimchi in her mouth and proceed to talk with her mouth open and go "Isn't she gorgeous?". I felt the same way watching Kim Sam soon. She was nasty and unattractive but the guy loved her anyway. Barring this whole concept of "inside beauty" I did find myself looking for some reason why a guy would find Eun Chan attractive and besides being hard-working and cheerful couldn't find anything. Again, maybe if they had just made her a less disgusting eater I would have reacted better. So, I just went with the concept and stopped looking and just enjoyed.
3) And backing up a bit, Han Kyul gives up a job in NY that he's been planning for for years partially to be with Eun Chan, while Eun Chan drops everything to fly to Italy for 2 years, just because coffee suddenly seems cool. Again, a story written for a woman for a female audience.


Both lead male characters take back seats to the women when it came to taking charge of their future. Yoo Joo and Eun Chan both put their careers before their relationships and the men are left to have the usual "female" role of being the understanding and supportive partner, giving up more for the relationships than the females do. Even the supporting role of Sun Ki was a man waiting and searching for one woman for 3 years just to be supportive. You really can tell it was written by a woman who was trying to redefine the classic images of the romantic female and male leads. It did bother me a bit as well though when Han Kyul gave up his so-called life's dream of working in the toy industry with almost no thought at all. Bothered me even worse when Eun Chan traipsed off to Italy for 2 years with almost no thought to leaving Han Kyul behind.


Otherwise, I found this an enjoyable show. The acting was good. I even liked all the supporting cast. (wanted more Sun Ki)

belleza
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Post by belleza » Sep 17th, '07, 09:50

However Yoon Eun Hye's reps had argued that "by using the words 'substitute casting' it implies that Kim Ah Joong was casted but quit, which isnt the case, so using those words doesnt make any sense."

CP's Lee YoonJung PD and script writer Lee JungAh had even spoken up, revealing that "at the time, Kim Ah Joong might have received the synopsis, but honestly speaking, we sent the synopsis to a number of other actresses as well. Moreover, Yoon Eun Hye was not casted as Kim Ah Joong's substitute."
You'll notice this a lot with successful shows (all Asian countries.) Yeah, some of it is talent agency bitchfest, but it's also a testament to a really great role. For example, So Ji Sup was not the first choice to play Moohyuk in MiSa. Well after the show cleaned the awards, the original choice (forgot the actor, but very popular lead) was quoted in a short article as having regretted turning down the role. In his case, I think he said he felt he couldn't do the role. This was not made public before, and at the time of initial promotion, SJS even expressed any actor would have grabbed at this role.

It's when you hear the rumor mill buzzing BEFORE a show is airing, well then that's bad. You have the YEH controversy with Que Sera Sera (and I think most X-man fans would agree that Eun Hye and Eric would have made a SIZZLING couple.) Spring Waltz was originally cast between Sung Yu Ri and Joo Ji Hoong (I actually think their chemistry could be much better than YEH/JJH . . . ) Summer Scent was going to star Song Hye Kyo opposite Song Seung Hun in an Autumn Tale reunion.

There's a few actresses I could have played Eun Chan well. And what I mean is, once they had actually cast said actress, they could have adapted Eun Chan for that actress from the original novel. For example, Eun Chan's Kobayashi-esque eating habits and her ease with carrying men almost twice her weight up a street. . . that plays into the "young girl warrior" persona that mad Eun Hye so popular on the X-man show. Even Eun Chan's dogged fighting spirit plays into that.

Her imprint in this role was to bring her physical imagination -- and Eun Hye is a 1000 gestures plus one. Her Eun Chan is a confusion of mixed signals, a mapped mismatch of very masculine body language with the emotional responses of a very normal woman. Eun Hye invests her acting into the mannerisms of her character. Or to put it another way, she didn't allow her character to respond in feminine kind if a more huff-and-puff, "dude" approach was available. Even when she cries here, it is mostly a manly effort. Her acting was like a second guessing of her femininity, and it helped underlining Eun Chan's insecurities over her femininity.

This is important because Eun Chan's feelings for Han Gyul come from not an emotional turning, but a physical awakening. Han Gyul holds her as a lover would, and Eun Chan has this look of sensual rapture. That response can only work if Eun Hye had effectively convinced the viewer up to that point that Eun Chan is sexless, genderless, and truly unaware of her own sensual identity.

Eun Hye's mannbered interpretation builds upon a basic dilemna of the show -- how does a straight man feel physical and sexual attraction with a girl who genuinely acts like one of the guys? And, we're not even talking about androgynous sensuality -- we're talking a flatline of anything and everything that we associate with the physical side of romantic chemistry. How do you fall in love with somebody who, whenever the "idea" pops into your head, still acts with you -- beer drinking, footie watching DUDE -- as one of your hooligans?

Egg-chan
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Post by Egg-chan » Sep 18th, '07, 00:00

Just thought I'd share this little article with all of you, I thought it was kinda funny ^^

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/ ... 20022.html

An excerpt from the article:

Businesses Hiring Hunks to Woo Customers
The recently ended soap "Coffee Prince No. 1" has brought about a whole new concept in marketing in which good-looking single men are the main substance. In the drama, a cafe owner played by heartthrob Gong Yoo only hired beautiful young men and succeeded in attracting a slew of female customers.

As the drama indicates, gone are the days when handsome men were hired just as the "face" of stores. Companies these days are even hiring professional models and actors, cranking up the competition for beautiful men. This has forced companies to offer gym memberships, English lessons and other self-improvement benefits to attract worthy workers.

jooliepoolie
Posts: 38
Joined: Aug 13th, '07, 02:05

Post by jooliepoolie » Sep 18th, '07, 01:11

Egg-chan wrote:Just thought I'd share this little article with all of you, I thought it was kinda funny ^^

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/ ... 20022.html

An excerpt from the article:

Businesses Hiring Hunks to Woo Customers
The recently ended soap "Coffee Prince No. 1" has brought about a whole new concept in marketing in which good-looking single men are the main substance. In the drama, a cafe owner played by heartthrob Gong Yoo only hired beautiful young men and succeeded in attracting a slew of female customers.

As the drama indicates, gone are the days when handsome men were hired just as the "face" of stores. Companies these days are even hiring professional models and actors, cranking up the competition for beautiful men. This has forced companies to offer gym memberships, English lessons and other self-improvement benefits to attract worthy workers.
hahaha that is soo funny
wow a real life coffee prince shop?!!! SWWEEEETTT :P

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